CARNIVAL VICTORY VS DISNEY WONDER
PICTURES OF THE CARNIVAL VICTORY FROM 2016: page 2 and 3 of this thread.
***Please take note that Carnival Victory had her cabins updated in 2016 and is scheduled for a dry dock in January 2018!!!!***
Carnival Victory cruise: October 2016.
Disney Wonder cruise: April 2017
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THE WEBSITE
As I am currently booked on another Carnival cruise, I still find the the Carnival website to be a little bit more user friendly than
DCL's website.
THE BOOKING/THE PRICES
For the Disney Wonder, we have paid 722$/pp for an interior room for a 3 nights cruise, making it 240 $/per night, per person.
For the Carnival Victory, we originally we have paid 322$/pp for an interior room for a 4 nights cruise (we ended up upgrading to a balcony later), making it 80$/per night, per person.
THE BOARDING (embarkation)
We used the shuttle from Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort, which picked us up around 11:30… Unfortunately, the shuttle had mechanical problem and had to change bus half-way to Port Canaveral. We lost about an hour and arrived around 2 PM at the cruise terminal. No wait at all.
We used a shuttle provided by Carnival (Mears), it did not have bells and whistle of a DCL shuttle but was comfortable and efficient. When we checked-in at the port, there was a lot of people but the terminal was very wide and there was very little wait even though the lines seemed to be long. Once we had to wait to embark (group 8), we sat in the waiting room for less than 5 minutes and there were a lot of seats available.
THE CABIN
With DCL (Dream) we booked an 11 A on deck 6. We did not have a split bathroom. Cabins all have a mini-fridge and a safe. Very pretty and comfortable cabin. Most of the room was clean with the exception of the bathroom which could have used a better cleaning. We also found that the bathroom needed a little more TLC.
With Carnival, as previously mentioned, we went for a 8D (with a verandah) on Deck 8 so we cannot really compare with an inside room on the Victory. At the time we had a safe but there was NO mini-fridge on the Victory (you need to order ice buckets). Please take note that the staterooms were refurbished 2016. They replaced carpets (going from red to blue), replacedold tv's with flat screens and remodeled the bathrooms (from old pink to white and blue).They now have mini-fridges.
We have found the room on the Victory to be very clean and practical. Everything worked perfectly.
Since we have to pick a winner DCL wins (for now), because they have a very small bath when the Victory only have showers. Also, we have found the DCL bed to be more comfortable and the soundproofing to be a bit better.
But... the Victory could make it a tie after the refurbishments are done.
ITINERARY
With the Disney Wonder, we went to
Castaway Cay. On Nassau day, we had to participate to researched for a man who had fallen from another cruiseship and ended up with a sea day.
With Carnival, because of hurricane Matthew and because Freeport and Nassau sustained a lot of damages, we did not go to Freeport and had an overnight in Nassau instead (on the first day, there was no excursions offered) and finished with a sea day.
An alternative itinerary can bring you to Half Moon Cay (private Carnival island, à la Castaway Cay) instead of Freeport which would have been soooo much more interesting in my eyes... Unfortunately it did not fit our vacation dates.
TRANSPORTATION
Both cruiselines were asking 36$/pp per ride.
DCL usually has a nice driver and shows a video (with characters) on each way.
Mears is doing the transportation, the driver was just as entertaining as the DCL one and the bus comfortable as well.
DCL would usually win because of the videos who'll make the ride appear shorter (when you don’t have mechanical problems) but if I went with the service and comfort, it would be a tie…
EXCURSIONS
With DCL, you have to wait until a certain date you are assigned (depending on your
Castaway Club status, from 90 days to 120 days in advance) in order to book excursions. We chose not to do excursions on this cruise.
With Carnival, all I know is that I paid in full the same day that I booked my cruise and I have been able to book excursions right away (6 months before the trip).
Side note: I have a cruise booked more than a year in advance with RCCL and I can already book excursions.
What I like about Carnival is that they sometimes offer deals when you book a "bundle". For example, at the moment of the booking, there was a 20% off deal if we booked one excursion for each port of call (
However a few weeks later, we decided to cancel one of them to stay on the ship/in the cruiseport terminal in Freeport.)
I don't remember that ever happening with Disney. I also found that Carnival had much more choices of excursions than Disney.
For our October Carnival cruise, we decided to book Blue Lagoon (lunch included) for Nassau Day.
The Blue Lagoon excursion with Carnival cost us 75$/pp.
The Blue Lagoon excursion with DCL would have cost us 72$/pp.
Our second favorite alternative was a Beach Day at Atlantis at 99$/pp with Carnival. The same Beach Day at Atlantis excursion with DCL would cost us 105$/pp.
With Carnival, you have to prepay the excursions right away. With DCL, you only pay at the end of the cruise.
I have to admit that I prefer the pre-pay option because I am not a fan of huge credit card bills after a vacation.
RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS (for Specialty Dining)
On the Disney Wonder: After your Check-in date, you can book specialty (18+) restaurants like Palo (30$/pp). In the past, we have tried Palo for brunch (great!) and dinner (loved it!). We did it again on the Wonder and we are very satisfied.
With Carnival: Unlike many other Carnival cruiseships (those updated with Funship 2.0 for which I hear amazing reviews), the Carnival Victory didn't have any specialty restaurants. Instead, they offered a special steakhouse menu (for an extra fee) that you can order in the Dining Rooms.
They also offered The Chef's table (for 75$/pp), which is pretty much an like excursion. They select a group of 14 only. They start with appetizers and cocktails, you visit the galley and finish with a signature dinner.
While DH and I are huge fans of Palo & Remy, we decided to forego The Chef's Table with Carnival. (We have booked it for a cruise next year though. I might edit this part when I try it).
There is also a special breakfast Dr. Seuss theme called, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with special decorations, special menu and characters but we have not tried it yet. (Just 5$/pp)
I haven't tried specialty dining with Carnival therefore, I cannot tell which one is best.
***PLEASE TAKE NOT THAT THE VICTORY IS GOING INTO DRY DOCK IN JANUARY 2018 AND IS SCHEDULE TO HAVE A LOT OF UPGRADES REGARDING TO DINING - TBD***
THE DINING ROOMS
All DCL cruiseships have three dining rooms and you are subjected to a rotation. They have two options: Main seating (between 5:45 PM to 6:15) or Second seating (between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM).
On the Disney Wonder, we really enjoyed dinner in most of the MDR, but it’s in the Tiana’s Place that we enjoyed the ambiance the most, and we have found that the best food was at Triton’s. We preferred the Wonder version of Animator's Palate more than the one on the Dream and the food was better than on our first cruise on the Dream.
On the Carnival Victory, they have two very similar dining rooms (Atlantic and Pacific dining rooms) and three seating options: Early Dining (6:00 PM), Late Dining (8:15 PM) and Your Time (anytime you want between 5:45 and 9:30). Only one of the two dining rooms is used for those who picked Your Time: the Atlantic dining room. Both dining rooms have windows.
Overall, while the ambiance is more low key than on DCL, my husband and I found the food in the Carnival dining rooms to be of better quality than the food in the DCL dining room.
While DH liked the decor of Atlantic/pacific room with Carnival better, I like the look of Royal Palace and Tiana’s Place a little bit more.
CAST MEMBERS/STAFF
Is good service exclusive to
Disney Cruise Line?
My answer is... NO.
As a matter of fact, while we have had a great experience on the Disney Wonder with Joseph and Jack in the MDR and the waitress in Palo (I feel bad because I forgot her name)… We have found the staff and crew on the Carnival Victory to be more helpful and they treated us like royalty.
Carnival wins but DCL gets an honorable mention.
THE RESTAURANTS/COUNTERS
On the Disney Wonder, you will find a buffet named Cabanas. We loved the food they serve over there. There is a lot of choices. There are also different food counters that will serve pizza, burgers and fries (not that good) and sandwiches (you have to try the Tomato, Brie and Bacon one, it's amazing!), salads and fruits. Both are near the main pool and there is a self-serve ice cream station just passed the pool.
On the Carnival Victory, the buffet is called the Lido. Around the Lido you will find many counters like Pizza Pirate (pizza 24/7), Chopsticks (Chinese Food), Carnival Deli (sandwiches), Comfort Kitchen (hot dogs, mac'n'cheese, meatloaf, apple pie...), Off The Grill (pool bbq offering burgers, cole slaw and potato salad) and Swirls (self-serve ice AND frozen yogourt).
Carnival also have The Taste Bar, who serves appetizers.
Overall, while my husband and I consider that it is a tie between the Lido and Cabanas, but we have found the food in the counters (chinese food and pizza) on the Carnival Victory to be absolutely outstanding!
So when it comes to included food, Carnival Victory wins.
CAFÉS
On the DisneyWonder, there is the Quiet Cove Cafe, for adults only, who serves gourmet coffee, a nice selection of tea and some small desserts. With the exception of desserts, there is a fee for the gourmet coffee and tea. At the Vista Cafe, the kids are allowed. While there is a fee for coffee and tea (I don’t remember the prices, sorry), the pastries are included.
On the Carnival Victory, there is the Coral Sea Cafe where you can find gourmet coffee and tea and different desserts, snacks, ice cream and gelatos. There is a fee for all those products but it's less expensive than what you'd pay on land. I'm told that coffee goes from $1.95 to $5.95 and desserts goes from 1.25$ to 3.95$
Between DCL and The Carnival Victory, it's a tie.
SHOPS
I could not give much informations about shops because I am not a shopper... But we have found the souvenirs to be much more affordable on Carnival, because you don't have the mouse on it.
Also, there is a huge sale at the end of the cruise where everything is even more affordable.
Also, Carnival sells Tortuga Rum Cakes while in the Bahamas. DCL doesn't.
BARS
Disney Wonder has 5 bars: Crown & Fin (English pub), Cadillac Lounge (piano bar), Azure (club), Promenade Lounge (bistro), Signals (pool bar). We’ve visited the Cadillac Lounge & Crown & Fin. They were both empty but the ambiance at Cadillac Lounge was very discrete and warm.
Carnival Victory has at least 11 bars: Seventh Sea Bar, Ionian Room, Skybox Sports Bar, Trident Bar (Casino Bar), Club Arctic, Alchemy Bar, Irish Sea Bar, Black & Red Seas Bar, Adriatic Lounge (which is also the Punchliner Comedy Club) and there is also two pool bars: Triton's Pool Bar, and Sirens' Pool Bar.
I am not a big fan of bars but for the use I made of each, it's a tie.
POOLS
On the DisneyWonder, there are two pools on the Main Deck: The Mickey pool and The Goofy Pool. There is also two small jacuzzis. Those pools and jacuzzis tend to be overcrowded at all times. There is one small slide for the children and The Aqualab (splash zone) There is another pool in the adult section but I will talk about it in the Adult Only Section.
On the Carnival Victory, you will find two pools. The main pool is called Triton's pool (with a huge water slide). There is a quiet pool (aft) called The Sirens Pool (it is adults only). They look really old and the hot tubs are luke warm.
EDIT: Take note that as of now, The Sirens Pool (aft) that used to be adult only is now kid-friendly. Carnival announced that they eliminated Adult only pools on seven of their ships:
- Carnival Conquest
- Carnival Glory
- Carnival Valor
- Carnival Liberty
- Carnival Freedom
- Carnival Splendor
- Carnival Victory
DCL's pools are generally in a better shape and their design is more interesting... But they are also always filled up with people.
The Victory pools could use a little TLC. They were empty most of the time. I believe that it is because adults have more sources of entertainment with Carnival.
DCL wins for the pools, except for the Adult one.
ADULT ONLY SECTION
On the Disney Wonder, there is a great adult section called the Quiet Cove with a medium pool, two small Jacuzzis and one bar. The space itself is great, filled with lounging chairs and sofas. There is a lot of shade over there. There are huge windows (going from the floor to the ceiling) who will provide you the best views on both side of the cruiseship. BUT to my surprise, even though the ship had been through dry dock a few months before, the Quiet Cove was not redone and in was in a pretty bad shape to be honest. Some of the tiles around the pool were about to fall off and the wood around it had parts that were moldy and “swollen”. It reminded me a lot of the pools on the Carnival Victory.
On the Carnival Victory, the adult section is called Serenity Deck. No pool on that deck but two medium jacuzzis. From what I understand, while there is a lot of seats and loungers, most of them are under the sun. On the Victory, the Serenity Deck is also on two decks (12 and 14). The fact that the entrance for the waterslide being on the 14 deck, kids might have to walk into the adult section in order to get to the water slide. They can also enter the section to go to the pizza booth.
There is a pool at the opposite side from the Serenity Deck called "The Sirens Pool" that used to be 18+ (or 16+?) ... Very italian in the look and in pretty good shape! It was very quiet and had more shade, had a self-serve ice cream section and a Pour your own beer Red Frog booth. It was also right in front of the Pizza booth. DH and I spent most of our time there.
It's a tie!
THEATERS AND SHOWS
On the Disney Wonder, there is the Buena Vista Theater where you can watch movies (some of them 3D). There is pop corn and drinks available right outside the theater for a fee but the price is nowhere near the prices you'd pay for snacks and drink on land. I think we paid 5$ for a bucket of pop corn and 1 big soda.
The Walt Disney Theater is where you'll find shows. When we were there we have seen The Golden Mickeys (Liked it less than the first time, unfortunately!) and Dreams (Meh) and Frozen (Fantastic!). Those are family friendly.
On the Carnival Victory, the Carribean Main Lounge is where you can see the shows. We have only saw one show (Vrooom) and were impressed by the performance of the singers and the budget of the show. We had a really good time.
Also, the Adriatic Lounge (a bar) is used to present comedy shows. We loved it and attended those shows every night.
While the type of shows are really different, my husband prefered the rock'n'roll review over the Disney shows and he would be ready to skip all of them if we ever sail with Disney again. I have a soft spot for Disney so I appreciated the DCL shows but I had such a good time at Vrooom and the comedy shows that I can’t say that it is not as good as DCL.
I’ll give it a tie, because they are good on both cruise lines and so different.
MOVIES
The movie theater on the Disney Wonder. You’ll have to pay for your pop corn and pop. The prices are a bit more affordable (5$ for a regular pop corn and a soda).
There is no movie theater on the Carnival Victory: they use the big screen near the main pool to present what they call "Dive-In Movies" so you can watch movies in the pool or comfortably installed on one of the lounging chairs. The pop corn is FREE. :O
The two experiences are too different, I can't pick a winner. It's a tie.
MINI-GOLF
There is no Mini-Golf on the Disney Wonder. We missed it.
On the Victory, there is a mini-golf. We liked it a lot.
Carnival wins.
ELEVATORS
I have to talk about it. The elevators on the Disney Wonder were so small and felt so cramped...
Carnival Victory definitely wins this one.
ON BOARD CREDIT
You can add on board credit online with Carnival. You buy it as "Cruise Cash" or "Cruise Cash Bar" (for drinks you'll buy at a bar) or "Cruise Cash Photo" (that you can use to buy pictures taken aboard) and you receive a confirmation by e-mail right away. You have to use it all because there are no refunds (some people told me they’ve been able to get it when they asked before the end of the cruise, I have never tried it, though).
With DCL, you have to call or fax them... And you cannot confirm that the credit has been applied unless you call them or receive your coupon in the room on embarkation day.
Carnival wins this one!
GIFTS
With DCL, you have to order my phone or by fax. I’ve never received any receipts from them, the only way I could make sure the payment was passed was by looking at my credit card statement or call them.
With Carnival, you can order your gifts online. You receive a confirmation number by e-mail for your purchase.
Carnival in-room decorations packages are a little more affordable than DCL’s. There are various options with Carnival. EDIT: Carnival upgraded their decoration packages. They are now starting at 40$ but they added decorative towels to most packages that you can bring home. The DCL decorative packages start at 45$.
Also, there are so much more choices of gifts and with the exception of flowers (which have very similar prices) there is a lot of affordable choices.
Example:
With DCL, for 152$ before taxes, I had a 8 inches cake –which looked cute but tasted pretty bad, by the way–, 2 bottles of cheap wine (no glasses) and a small floral arrangement.
With Carnival, for 117$ before taxes, I managed to order a bag of games (toys, books and a game), a bag for the beach (filled with toys for the beach and 1 towel), a Cat-in-the-hat towel, a package of decorations for the room, a big box of candy, a 6 inches cake & a package containing a bottle of cheap wine with 2 glasses and a box of chocolates.
We liked our Carnival cake more than our DCL cake. And the decorations were cute.
Carnival wins this one.
EARLY CHECK-IN
While you can complete your early check-in on DCL’s website 90 to 120 days in advance with DCL, I remember being able to do my early check-in right away (six months in advance) with Carnival.
With DCL, you will receive a (super cute!) booklet with all the details from your trip with luggage tags prior to the cruise. A few days before the cruise, you will receive a health survey that you have to fill up before you check-in.
With Carnival, you print all your documents. Those documents contain the health survey and the luggage tags (You print them too!).
I'll give this one to DCL because I find it more "official" and cuter!
FIRE DRILL
I have to admit that I used to prefer DCL's fire drill because it was happening inside when we were on the Dream but on the Wonder, it was happening outside.
Carnival was doing theirs outside too.
But a fire drill is a fire drill (aka boring). It’s a tie.
FINANCIAL GESTION
DCL sends you a bill on the last night of the cruise. I am not sure if you can access it on your tv.
Carnival had automated machines where you can review and print your account anytime you want. (I am told than on other newer ships, you can get it on the TV now).
Carnival wins for this one.
INTERNET
Unlike DCL who gives you 50 MB for free and Connect-at-Sea packages you can buy. I hate it because I never seem to be able to make it work and the only time I’ve bought some datas, I lost them after sending a single e-mail.
Carnival offers you different packages including a very affordable (5$/day) Social Media plan on which you can get your messages and post on different social medias like FB, instagram, etc. They also have a few computer you can use. We have found the wifi a bit spotty but the computers were working well.
DISEMBARKATION
With DCL, you will be assigned to a restaurant in the morning. If you usually have Early Seating, your breakfast will be served first, and then you'll be invited to disembark. You will receive a luggage tag that will indicate in which section to pick-up your luggage the next day. They are named after characters and colors.
With Carnival, the disembarkation time will depend on the deck you are staying at. You will receive a notice on the last night inviting you to disembark at a certain time. Your number will be called. There are designed areas where you can wait.
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Official winner out of the two? (Not by much...) Carnival Victory!
p.s. I can't wait to see what the dry dock is gonna bring to her in 2018.