CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[hanscarlet]

what deck were you on? we had a stinky sewer smell towards the closet on deck 8 back in 2015.... was hoping that would have gone away after the refurbishment

 

[mevelandry]

what deck were you on? we had a stinky sewer smell towards the closet on deck 8 back in 2015.... was hoping that would have gone away after the refurbishment

Deck 7. Yesterday night we could smell it near the theater and this morning in the bathroom (and a little in the cabin). It felt like we were hanging out in a "busy" restroom. LOL

 

[hanscarlet]

yuck... I can't wait to see their new ships.... I hope they aren't a gagillion $$ to sail on them

 

[mevelandry]

I'm still shocked by how bad the Quiet Cove looked on the Wonder. With the exception of the floor which was not perfect but that bad, the Carnival Victory's main pool (which I thought didn't look good) looked better.

I miss the Disney Dream Quiet Cove and the Siren's pool & Serenity deck from the Carnival Victory.

 

[cyclenut]

I do like this thread. I've written elsewhere about our experience with Carnival Breeze as compared to Disney generally and Wonder specifically. I have to say that I found much of your experience to align with ours, except the dining.

Our main dining room experience on the Breeze was disappointing at best. I've had better food on Carnival's short cruises, so I know they can do better, but not on my sailing. The food was lukewarm and mostly tasteless. The ice cream served with the molten chocolate cake was melted and refrozen now with ice crystals. The service was poor, I had to get up and retrieve a pitcher to refill my own water. Nobody even noticed. They were that inattentive.

The buffets were a different story. They were great on the Breeze. I also much preferred the Breeze breakfast. Blue Iguana's breakfast burrito. Nice. DCL hash browns looked like they had been fried once and then reheated in the fryer a second time. Crunchy and greasy. I still can't get over why DCL puts out frozen Krispy Kreme donuts. They are horrible. People must like them, but I can't figure out why. There were good things to eat on DCL, but I didn't find anything on the Breeze that was quite as bad as those hash browns and the baked goods tasted fresh, not from the freezer.

We stayed in a Jr. Suite on the Breeze and didn't care for the layout of the room compared to Disney. It was bigger for sure, but the space was not friendly. The Wonder has a sliding door to the balcony where the Breeze had a swinging door. Sliding door is superior when room is scarce, as it is on a ship.

Entertainment on DCL is far superior in almost every way. The comedy clubs on Carnival were marginal. We went to the late night and all they could do was cuss up a storm, as though that made every joke funny. I don't mind a few cuss words thrown around, but this was excessive and while I wasn't offended, it simply wasn't funny. The same guy earlier in the day was pretty good so we went back for the late show and were not impressed. The stage shows were big and glamorous, but the talent just doesn't match Disney. Every person on the stage in a Disney show is a true triple threat. Some of the carnival dancers couldn't even stay in their turns and timing was off throughout the show. Not to mention that the dancers didn't sing and the singers didn't dance (at least not well).

Service on Carnival was somewhat average. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. They did a lot of quirky things. Service staff was asking me to move out of their way a lot. Minor I know but on Disney I'd sometimes catch myself pausing in a walkway only to notice a Disney CM standing there waiting for me to move, silent. I'd almost rather they say something as I don't intend to be rude, but on Carnival it was as if they were on a mission and needed you to get out of their way.

Carnival also pushes the alcohol a LOT more. Order a beer and they try and talk you into buying a bucket. Order a drink and they try and bring you two. I even had a waiter set drinks down on our table they know we didn't ask for to try and get us to buy them. Seriously happened. On the Breeze this past September.

Don't get me wrong here, we'll sail Carnival again and found the Breeze to be just fine and in some ways better, but it does not compare to Disney, unless you factor in price and are willing to make a few sacrifices for the lower price. You do NOT get the same product at a lower price.

Our Breeze cruise out of Galveston was about $2500 for two in the Jr. Suite for seven days. Our Disney was about $3500 on the Wonder out of Galveston for seven days. The Breeze was in September 2016 and the Wonder in January of 2017.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I'm still shocked by how bad the Quiet Cove looked on the Wonder. With the exception of the floor which was not perfect but that bad, the Carnival Victory's main pool (which I thought didn't look good) looked better.

I miss the Disney Dream Quiet Cove and the Siren's pool & Serenity deck from the Carnival Victory.

The one thing I really didn't like about the Wonder, compared to Dream class ships, was the white walls in the cabin hallways. The wood veneer is so much prettier on the Dream and Fantasy. I also thought the size and shape of the midship elevator's was a total joke, those were crazy small, it's a good thing for us we rarely use them.

Overall, I still really enjoy DCL but am so happy we tried Carnival as well. We're going on the Magic this fall out of NYC and can hardly wait for it. It will complete our Grand Slam and then we can patiently wait for the new ships. I know it won't happen but I really hope DCL ports a ship year round on the west coast, doing Alaska in the summer and cruises out of Long Beach the rest of the year.

 

[mevelandry]

I do like this thread. I've written elsewhere about our experience with Carnival Breeze as compared to Disney generally and Wonder specifically. I have to say that I found much of your experience to align with ours, except the dining.

Our main dining room experience on the Breeze was disappointing at best. I've had better food on Carnival's short cruises, so I know they can do better, but not on my sailing. The food was lukewarm and mostly tasteless. The ice cream served with the molten chocolate cake was melted and refrozen now with ice crystals. The service was poor, I had to get up and retrieve a pitcher to refill my own water. Nobody even noticed. They were that inattentive.

The buffets were a different story. They were great on the Breeze. I also much preferred the Breeze breakfast. Blue Iguana's breakfast burrito. Nice. DCL hash browns looked like they had been fried once and then reheated in the fryer a second time. Crunchy and greasy. I still can't get over why DCL puts out frozen Krispy Kreme donuts. They are horrible. People must like them, but I can't figure out why. There were good things to eat on DCL, but I didn't find anything on the Breeze that was quite as bad as those hash browns and the baked goods tasted fresh, not from the freezer.

We stayed in a Jr. Suite on the Breeze and didn't care for the layout of the room compared to Disney. It was bigger for sure, but the space was not friendly. The Wonder has a sliding door to the balcony where the Breeze had a swinging door. Sliding door is superior when room is scarce, as it is on a ship.

Entertainment on DCL is far superior in almost every way. The comedy clubs on Carnival were marginal. We went to the late night and all they could do was cuss up a storm, as though that made every joke funny. I don't mind a few cuss words thrown around, but this was excessive and while I wasn't offended, it simply wasn't funny. The same guy earlier in the day was pretty good so we went back for the late show and were not impressed. The stage shows were big and glamorous, but the talent just doesn't match Disney. Every person on the stage in a Disney show is a true triple threat. Some of the carnival dancers couldn't even stay in their turns and timing was off throughout the show. Not to mention that the dancers didn't sing and the singers didn't dance (at least not well).

Service on Carnival was somewhat average. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. They did a lot of quirky things. Service staff was asking me to move out of their way a lot. Minor I know but on Disney I'd sometimes catch myself pausing in a walkway only to notice a Disney CM standing there waiting for me to move, silent. I'd almost rather they say something as I don't intend to be rude, but on Carnival it was as if they were on a mission and needed you to get out of their way.

Carnival also pushes the alcohol a LOT more. Order a beer and they try and talk you into buying a bucket. Order a drink and they try and bring you two. I even had a waiter set drinks down on our table they know we didn't ask for to try and get us to buy them. Seriously happened. On the Breeze this past September.

Don't get me wrong here, we'll sail Carnival again and found the Breeze to be just fine and in some ways better, but it does not compare to Disney, unless you factor in price and are willing to make a few sacrifices for the lower price. You do NOT get the same product at a lower price.

Our Breeze cruise out of Galveston was about $2500 for two in the Jr. Suite for seven days. Our Disney was about $3500 on the Wonder out of Galveston for seven days. The Breeze was in September 2016 and the Wonder in January of 2017.

I guess it depends on the ship. We can easily compare the Victory with the Wonder... The entertainment was different but we appreciated both for different reasons. The Victory has great crew and great food.

 

[elvispursley]

Thanks to all for the reviews. This has me seriously thinking that I may cancel our DCL and change to a different cruise line all together. I've been hemming all together about the cruise we booked (southern caribbean Jan. 2018 on Wonder) after only having sailed on the Dream class ships. I'm worried that my kids ( DS 13 and DS 11 who hate the kids clubs anyway) won't have enough to keep themselves busy. I realize that this is a port-intensive cruise, but it is also an expensive cruise airfare-wise (Seattle to San Juan for 5 is $$). Plus, my oldest would really love to go back to WDW at Halloween for MNSSHP and to Universal (which we all LOVED)! I've been waiting for the Fall 2018 itineraries to be released to make my decision. Have never honestly ever considered a Carnival ship...ever! But would be willing to try the Vista or the Horizon ships. Do the Family Harbor rooms have a balcony option??

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Thanks to all for the reviews. This has me seriously thinking that I may cancel our DCL and change to a different cruise line all together. I've been hemming all together about the cruise we booked (southern caribbean Jan. 2018 on Wonder) after only having sailed on the Dream class ships. I'm worried that my kids ( DS 13 and DS 11 who hate the kids clubs anyway) won't have enough to keep themselves busy. I realize that this is a port-intensive cruise, but it is also an expensive cruise airfare-wise (Seattle to San Juan for 5 is $$). Plus, my oldest would really love to go back to WDW at Halloween for MNSSHP and to Universal (which we all LOVED)! I've been waiting for the Fall 2018 itineraries to be released to make my decision. Have never honestly ever considered a Carnival ship...ever! But would be willing to try the Vista or the Horizon ships. Do the Family Harbor rooms have a balcony option??

The family Harbor area is on deck 2 so they are called cove balconies. People seem to love them because they are so close to the water and the view is completely unobstructed. They aren't as open as a regular balcony room because they have "storm doors" for really choppy seas that carnival will close when the weather gets super bad. The family Harbor suites sleep 5 and have a full bathroom with toilet, shower and sink plus a half bath with sink and tub/shower.

 

[phinz]

Another difference: The Carnival adult pool isn't an adult pool anymore. Carnival has announced that the aft pools will be all ages now.

 

[cyclenut]

I guess it depends on the ship. We can easily compare the Victory with the Wonder... The entertainment was different but we appreciated both for different reasons. The Victory has great crew and great food.

I've been on three Carnival ships and the entertainment has been OK at best. Food is so subjective I will never argue about what is best with anyone. I was just pointing out that it is not a fair statement to suggest that Carnival food is better. You may have experienced better on your sailing, which is great. However, folks should be cautious as the experience is inconsistent across ships.

That isn't to say my DCL experience was always grand either. Our last sailing on the Wonder I did have to send a couple of dishes back because they were simply prepared wrong. Visibly different preparation for the same dish at the same table.

 

[mevelandry]

No no of course. We all have different tastes.

DH and I loved the entertainment on Carnival. The comedy shows are the type of humor we like. DH dislikes the DCL shows... I love them but I love the Carnival Victory just as much.

 

[cruiser21]

I'm still shocked by how bad the Quiet Cove looked on the Wonder. With the exception of the floor which was not perfect but that bad, the Carnival Victory's main pool (which I thought didn't look good) looked better.

I miss the Disney Dream Quiet Cove and the Siren's pool & Serenity deck from the Carnival Victory.

The Magic looks even worse on the pool deck. I've noticed the wet vacs in the hallways and the sewage smell on the Magic, but not on the Wonder yet. My favorite thing on the Classics is the promenade lounge before dinner. I also like the adult bar area better then the Dream class. The bathrooms in the adult area on the Fantasy are a work of art though. I'm excited to go back on the Dream. It's been 3 years since I've been on one of the Classics.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

The Magic looks even worse on the pool deck. I've noticed the wet vacs in the hallways and the sewage smell on the Magic, but not on the Wonder yet. My favorite thing on the Classics is the promenade lounge before dinner. I also like the adult bar area better then the Dream class. The bathrooms in the adult area on the Fantasy are a work of art though. I'm excited to go back on the Dream. It's been 3 years since I've been on one of the Classics.

I took a bunch of pictures of those bathrooms and kept showing them to everyone when I got home. People look at you really strange when you say look at the bathroom pictures I have, LOL.

This is actually my favorite cruiseship bathroom. This is the urinal on Voyager of the Seas. It's a waterfall that is always running and you have an amazing view of the sea while relieving yourself.

 

[RedSox68]

Another difference: The Carnival adult pool isn't an adult pool anymore. Carnival has announced that the aft pools will be all ages now.

UGH -- that stinks!

 

[cruiser21]

Another difference: The Carnival adult pool isn't an adult pool anymore. Carnival has announced that the aft pools will be all ages now.

They still have the serenity area for adults.

 

[RedSox68]

They still have the serenity area for adults.

Oh okay -- good to know. But on Carnival don't you have to pay a premium for that area (in other words -- it's not included free)? Or maybe they changed that.

 

[mevelandry]

UGH -- that stinks!

Another difference: The Carnival adult pool isn't an adult pool anymore. Carnival has announced that the aft pools will be all ages now.

No!!! That sucks! I like kids but I don't like swimming with kids... They keep splashing everyone around them.

 

[cruiser21]

Oh okay -- good to know. But on Carnival don't you have to pay a premium for that area (in other words -- it's not included free)? Or maybe they changed that.

No it's free. I can't remember, but I don't think there's a pool. The aft pool area on Carnival is not adult only. Kids aren't supposed to go in the pools, but they can hang out there. I don't swim on cruises, but I do use the adult hot tubs. I have a pool in my backyard so swimming in a tiny pool with 50 other people has just never been that appealing.
It seems like cruises are marketing themselves more to family's, and the ships they are building seem to reflect that. I do think every ship should have a space for adults. Even those of us that vacation with kids like some quite time.

 

[mevelandry]

They still have the serenity area for adults.

With no pool. Just overcrowded jacuzzis.

Oh okay -- good to know. But on Carnival don't you have to pay a premium for that area (in other words -- it's not included free)? Or maybe they changed that.

No, it's included. It's havana you have to pay for.