CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[Monykalyn]

I just want to give a shoutout to @mevelandry and thank her for this amazing Carnival thread.

I will second this! As a newbie cruiser and first cruise on Carnival it is really nice to have friendly info without snark. I do think we may try a DCL cruise as well as DH really wants to try the line. I am not opposed to this either LOL!

 

[mevelandry]

I will second this! As a newbie cruiser and first cruise on Carnival it is really nice to have friendly info without snark. I do think we may try a DCL cruise as well as DH really wants to try the line. I am not opposed to this either LOL!

You guys are making me blush...


And yes, you absolutely should try a DCL cruise if you can. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

It is a wonderful cruise line and I would definitely cruise more on them if the premium wasn't that high (We can afford it but we are not enough into characters and their shows to justify the price difference) and the fact we would most likely stick to eating in Palo and Remy every night LOL.

 

[cruiser21]

I will second this! As a newbie cruiser and first cruise on Carnival it is really nice to have friendly info without snark. I do think we may try a DCL cruise as well as DH really wants to try the line. I am not opposed to this either LOL!

I'm not sure where you normally post since your not new to the dis, but this is a very friendly thread. I've done 20 dcl cruises and 3 carnival. It's been a few years since I've cruised on Carnival, two of my cruises were 20+ years ago when I was in college. I think I paid like 100.00 dollars for a 4 night cruise and shared a room with a couple other girls. One cruise I had to pay for one of my friends because she couldn't come up with a hundred bucks. I think we were all, going to school, working part time and making 5 bucks an hour.

Now I have teens that have grown up on DCL and they love it. You should try a Disney cruise at least once.

 

[kaseyC]

Another clue that Victory (Radiance) will be doing a short Europe season after it goes through THE CHANGE
View attachment 360847

Listed in Palma de Mallorca for 1 call. I am getting a tiny (OK a lot) excited.

Tell me more!!! Carnival may be doing Europe again? Loved our Vista Eastern Med.

 

[mevelandry]

If I knew Carnival was doing Europe (and our financial situation was stable enough), I think it could be a could opportunity for us to try Europe for the first time... Time will tell.

 

[diseverestfan]

Hello all. I just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Carnival Elation and wanted to share a few thoughts. Before I do that, a little history - I had been on 2 previous cruises, both with Disney. In 2012 my family sailed on the Fantasy for a 7-night eastern Caribbean adventure just months after her christening. Then, a year later, it was a 4-night jaunt on the Dream to the Bahamas. Both were equally amazing, and having been to WDW 14 times as well, I was a certified Disney snob who, if I was being completely transparent...looked down on those who chose to cruise with Carnival. (as well as other cruise lines) In fact, back then I would have given my chances of getting struck by lightning twice as much higher than if I would ever lower myself to cruise on some "Fun Ship."...

Fast forward 5 years. This past spring I was looking for a way to do something exciting with my daughters, ages 17 and 16. Since they had equally amazing experiences on our Disney cruises I didn't hesitate to start the booking process for a repeat 4 night Bahama cruise in October. Wanted a veranda since I would be traveling without my wife this time around, and for the 3 of us the amount was just over $3500. Ouch. That was more than I was looking to spend for that amount of time. Now what? I'm an infrequent visitor on these boards but for whatever reason decided to log in and see what was happening at the parks. While playing around I came across this thread and started reading. Hmm. A good many people seemed to like these "cheap" Carnival cruises BUT...how could I? I was always all about all things Disney! Shame on me for even considering another line, much less...Carnival. It didn't even sound right saying it out loud. But again, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to gulp - go on the Carnival website and start pricing out the inferior trips they provide. I came across a 5 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Elation and for the same category room my price was...

$1298. What? Admittedly, I knew that Carnival was cheaper...that's part of the reason why I avoided them. My math: cheaper = get what you pay for. But this was something else...1/3 of the price of Disney for an EXTRA night? Now I was torn. I talked to my wife and told her what I found. She said "you're not really considering that are you?" to which I said "umm...hell yeah! It's a 1/3 of the price for a longer cruise!!!" Finally, after a few days of soul-searching and restless nights, I did it. I booked Carnival. Oh my, what did I get myself into?

For those of you reading this thread and god forbid my post, let me share with you one thing - if you're even considering a Carnival Cruise and never done so before...DO IT!!! We had an amazing time. Honestly, I was totally blown away. And while you can't compare the Elation (built in 1998) to the Disney Dream or Fantasy, there are a few things I'd like to compare and just share some candid thoughts. If you're still reading, here we go!

1. Cleanliness - we all thought the Elation was gorgeous and she has sure aged well. Understood that she had a massive rehab just last year, but the ship was a delight. Rich, dark woods and beautiful decor combined with the relatively small size made both the feeling and the accessibility wonderful. Great ship to sail on! I will say she rocks and rolls a good bit but that didn't bother me at all.

2. Customer Service - okay...this is one area that I thought that I thought would be a huge disparity between Disney and Carnival, and I was right. We all unanimously agreed that Carnival Elation staff was incredible, and way beyond what we got from Disney. Every, I mean every person we encountered was polite, and most were downright engaging. We talked about this the entire cruise. From Cam the CR to Zya our housekeeper to Rey and Juan in the dining room, they were all so wonderful that when we had to leave on Saturday it felt like we were leaving friends. Truly.

3. Food - Kind of a tossup here. I think the Cabanas buffet on DCL was far better than Tiffany's on Carnival. I'd say the food in the dining room was about equal, perhaps a slight edge to Carnival. I really enjoyed Guy's Burgers and honestly if it wasn't an option at lunchtime, that might have ended up being a disappointment. The Elation dining room is very nice but can't compare to the DCL ships.

4. Entertainment - I am not a drinker at all. Like zero. So, no comments on the multitude of bars and lounges on either line. What I can compare is Playlist Productions vs DCL's evening shows, and again, no contest. Carnival wins here by a HUGE margin! The Carnival shows "Divas" and "Epic Rock" blew us away. Fabulous dancing, singing, and special effects. Both shows were so good I went to both performances. In my limited sampling, major kudos to Carnival. (am I really saying this? )

5. Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - DCL's terminal is amazing and Jaxport is...well, like a warehouse. However, as far as getting in, parked, checked in, on and off the ship...so painless on Carnival. ( admission - I had booked FTTF which helped)

6. Value - I'm not going to bad mouth DCL. It is still a great line to cruise. However, much like the parks, they are pricing out a lot of people these days. I happen to be one of them. What I can tell you is that while Disney is truly magical and the ships have special touches that Carnival doesn't, there is no way it is worth the difference in price. No way. A price difference of over $2300 with one less night is absurd and was the only reason I ventured to Carnival to begin with.

Epilogue - I can't believe I spent years being too good for Carnival. No more. My next cruise, and hopefully many, many cruises to come will be on a Fun Ship. I loved every minute of my trip, and when I completed my follow-up survey today I had nothing negative to say other than perhaps offer more variety at the buffet. To all of you who like me have or are still Carnival bashers please stop if you haven't sailed with them yet. Your mileage may vary, but for me I'm a proud Carnival fan going forward.

Can't wait to sail a Fun Ship again.

A newly-made Carnival supporter,

Mike

 

[mevelandry]

Hello all. I just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Carnival Elation and wanted to share a few thoughts. Before I do that, a little history - I had been on 2 previous cruises, both with Disney. In 2012 my family sailed on the Fantasy for a 7-night eastern Caribbean adventure just months after her christening. Then, a year later, it was a 4-night jaunt on the Dream to the Bahamas. Both were equally amazing, and having been to WDW 14 times as well, I was a certified Disney snob who, if I was being completely transparent...looked down on those who chose to cruise with Carnival. (as well as other cruise lines) In fact, back then I would have given my chances of getting struck by lightning twice as much higher than if I would ever lower myself to cruise on some "Fun Ship."...

Fast forward 5 years. This past spring I was looking for a way to do something exciting with my daughters, ages 17 and 16. Since they had equally amazing experiences on our Disney cruises I didn't hesitate to start the booking process for a repeat 4 night Bahama cruise in October. Wanted a veranda since I would be traveling without my wife this time around, and for the 3 of us the amount was just over $3500. Ouch. That was more than I was looking to spend for that amount of time. Now what? I'm an infrequent visitor on these boards but for whatever reason decided to log in and see what was happening at the parks. While playing around I came across this thread and started reading. Hmm. A good many people seemed to like these "cheap" Carnival cruises BUT...how could I? I was always all about all things Disney! Shame on me for even considering another line, much less...Carnival. It didn't even sound right saying it out loud. But again, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to gulp - go on the Carnival website and start pricing out the inferior trips they provide. I came across a 5 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Elation and for the same category room my price was...

$1298. What? Admittedly, I knew that Carnival was cheaper...that's part of the reason why I avoided them. My math: cheaper = get what you pay for. But this was something else...1/3 of the price of Disney for an EXTRA night? Now I was torn. I talked to my wife and told her what I found. She said "you're not really considering that are you?" to which I said "umm...hell yeah! It's a 1/3 of the price for a longer cruise!!!" Finally, after a few days of soul-searching and restless nights, I did it. I booked Carnival. Oh my, what did I get myself into?

For those of you reading this thread and god forbid my post, let me share with you one thing - if you're even considering a Carnival Cruise and never done so before...DO IT!!! We had an amazing time. Honestly, I was totally blown away. And while you can't compare the Elation (built in 1998) to the Disney Dream or Fantasy, there are a few things I'd like to compare and just share some candid thoughts. If you're still reading, here we go!

1. Cleanliness - we all thought the Elation was gorgeous and she has sure aged well. Understood that she had a massive rehab just last year, but the ship was a delight. Rich, dark woods and beautiful decor combined with the relatively small size made both the feeling and the accessibility wonderful. Great ship to sail on! I will say she rocks and rolls a good bit but that didn't bother me at all.

2. Customer Service - okay...this is one area that I thought that I thought would be a huge disparity between Disney and Carnival, and I was right. We all unanimously agreed that Carnival Elation staff was incredible, and way beyond what we got from Disney. Every, I mean every person we encountered was polite, and most were downright engaging. We talked about this the entire cruise. From Cam the CR to Zya our housekeeper to Rey and Juan in the dining room, they were all so wonderful that when we had to leave on Saturday it felt like we were leaving friends. Truly.

3. Food - Kind of a tossup here. I think the Cabanas buffet on DCL was far better than Tiffany's on Carnival. I'd say the food in the dining room was about equal, perhaps a slight edge to Carnival. I really enjoyed Guy's Burgers and honestly if it wasn't an option at lunchtime, that might have ended up being a disappointment. The Elation dining room is very nice but can't compare to the DCL ships.

4. Entertainment - I am not a drinker at all. Like zero. So, no comments on the multitude of bars and lounges on either line. What I can compare is Playlist Productions vs DCL's evening shows, and again, no contest. Carnival wins here by a HUGE margin! The Carnival shows "Divas" and "Epic Rock" blew us away. Fabulous dancing, singing, and special effects. Both shows were so good I went to both performances. In my limited sampling, major kudos to Carnival. (am I really saying this? )

5. Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - DCL's terminal is amazing and Jaxport is...well, like a warehouse. However, as far as getting in, parked, checked in, on and off the ship...so painless on Carnival. ( admission - I had booked FTTF which helped)

6. Value - I'm not going to bad mouth DCL. It is still a great line to cruise. However, much like the parks, they are pricing out a lot of people these days. I happen to be one of them. What I can tell you is that while Disney is truly magical and the ships have special touches that Carnival doesn't, there is no way it is worth the difference in price. No way. A price difference of over $2300 with one less night is absurd and was the only reason I ventured to Carnival to begin with.

Epilogue - I can't believe I spent years being too good for Carnival. No more. My next cruise, and hopefully many, many cruises to come will be on a Fun Ship. I loved every minute of my trip, and when I completed my follow-up survey today I had nothing negative to say other than perhaps offer more variety at the buffet. To all of you who like me have or are still Carnival bashers please stop if you haven't sailed with them yet. Your mileage may vary, but for me I'm a proud Carnival fan going forward.

Can't wait to sail a Fun Ship again.

A newly-made Carnival supporter,

Mike

Thank you so much for your comparison! I will add it to the first post.

Look, I was a DCL snob in 2015 (who would laugh of Carnival ships because they would not look as good as ours, while being docked in Nassau) so I can relate.

I, for myself, am so glad that I went " to the dark side" because it opened a whole new world to me and also convinced me to try other cruise lines as well. Experiences may vary but ours has been great.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying something different!

Did you go to Half Moon Cay during your 5 nights? How did you think they compared?

I honestly can't pick a favorite between Castaway Cay and Half Moon Cay!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Hello all. I just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Carnival Elation and wanted to share a few thoughts. Before I do that, a little history - I had been on 2 previous cruises, both with Disney. In 2012 my family sailed on the Fantasy for a 7-night eastern Caribbean adventure just months after her christening. Then, a year later, it was a 4-night jaunt on the Dream to the Bahamas. Both were equally amazing, and having been to WDW 14 times as well, I was a certified Disney snob who, if I was being completely transparent...looked down on those who chose to cruise with Carnival. (as well as other cruise lines) In fact, back then I would have given my chances of getting struck by lightning twice as much higher than if I would ever lower myself to cruise on some "Fun Ship."...

Fast forward 5 years. This past spring I was looking for a way to do something exciting with my daughters, ages 17 and 16. Since they had equally amazing experiences on our Disney cruises I didn't hesitate to start the booking process for a repeat 4 night Bahama cruise in October. Wanted a veranda since I would be traveling without my wife this time around, and for the 3 of us the amount was just over $3500. Ouch. That was more than I was looking to spend for that amount of time. Now what? I'm an infrequent visitor on these boards but for whatever reason decided to log in and see what was happening at the parks. While playing around I came across this thread and started reading. Hmm. A good many people seemed to like these "cheap" Carnival cruises BUT...how could I? I was always all about all things Disney! Shame on me for even considering another line, much less...Carnival. It didn't even sound right saying it out loud. But again, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to gulp - go on the Carnival website and start pricing out the inferior trips they provide. I came across a 5 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Elation and for the same category room my price was...

$1298. What? Admittedly, I knew that Carnival was cheaper...that's part of the reason why I avoided them. My math: cheaper = get what you pay for. But this was something else...1/3 of the price of Disney for an EXTRA night? Now I was torn. I talked to my wife and told her what I found. She said "you're not really considering that are you?" to which I said "umm...hell yeah! It's a 1/3 of the price for a longer cruise!!!" Finally, after a few days of soul-searching and restless nights, I did it. I booked Carnival. Oh my, what did I get myself into?

For those of you reading this thread and god forbid my post, let me share with you one thing - if you're even considering a Carnival Cruise and never done so before...DO IT!!! We had an amazing time. Honestly, I was totally blown away. And while you can't compare the Elation (built in 1998) to the Disney Dream or Fantasy, there are a few things I'd like to compare and just share some candid thoughts. If you're still reading, here we go!

1. Cleanliness - we all thought the Elation was gorgeous and she has sure aged well. Understood that she had a massive rehab just last year, but the ship was a delight. Rich, dark woods and beautiful decor combined with the relatively small size made both the feeling and the accessibility wonderful. Great ship to sail on! I will say she rocks and rolls a good bit but that didn't bother me at all.

2. Customer Service - okay...this is one area that I thought that I thought would be a huge disparity between Disney and Carnival, and I was right. We all unanimously agreed that Carnival Elation staff was incredible, and way beyond what we got from Disney. Every, I mean every person we encountered was polite, and most were downright engaging. We talked about this the entire cruise. From Cam the CR to Zya our housekeeper to Rey and Juan in the dining room, they were all so wonderful that when we had to leave on Saturday it felt like we were leaving friends. Truly.

3. Food - Kind of a tossup here. I think the Cabanas buffet on DCL was far better than Tiffany's on Carnival. I'd say the food in the dining room was about equal, perhaps a slight edge to Carnival. I really enjoyed Guy's Burgers and honestly if it wasn't an option at lunchtime, that might have ended up being a disappointment. The Elation dining room is very nice but can't compare to the DCL ships.

4. Entertainment - I am not a drinker at all. Like zero. So, no comments on the multitude of bars and lounges on either line. What I can compare is Playlist Productions vs DCL's evening shows, and again, no contest. Carnival wins here by a HUGE margin! The Carnival shows "Divas" and "Epic Rock" blew us away. Fabulous dancing, singing, and special effects. Both shows were so good I went to both performances. In my limited sampling, major kudos to Carnival. (am I really saying this? )

5. Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - DCL's terminal is amazing and Jaxport is...well, like a warehouse. However, as far as getting in, parked, checked in, on and off the ship...so painless on Carnival. ( admission - I had booked FTTF which helped)

6. Value - I'm not going to bad mouth DCL. It is still a great line to cruise. However, much like the parks, they are pricing out a lot of people these days. I happen to be one of them. What I can tell you is that while Disney is truly magical and the ships have special touches that Carnival doesn't, there is no way it is worth the difference in price. No way. A price difference of over $2300 with one less night is absurd and was the only reason I ventured to Carnival to begin with.

Epilogue - I can't believe I spent years being too good for Carnival. No more. My next cruise, and hopefully many, many cruises to come will be on a Fun Ship. I loved every minute of my trip, and when I completed my follow-up survey today I had nothing negative to say other than perhaps offer more variety at the buffet. To all of you who like me have or are still Carnival bashers please stop if you haven't sailed with them yet. Your mileage may vary, but for me I'm a proud Carnival fan going forward.

Can't wait to sail a Fun Ship again.

A newly-made Carnival supporter,

Mike

What a great review! We had the exact same feelings about DCL and reaction to CCL. Our first CCL cruise was about a 6k verses 13k price difference. Also for a cruise with one extra day and better ports (Aruba, Curacao) on CCL. Even the biggest Disney snob (me) could not resist the idea of saving 7k!!! Nuts! There were some differences or "imperfections," but some differences are actually (gasp) better on CCL and no imperfection justified the price difference. What a wonderful trip, and our Disney loving kids absolutely LOVE CCL- also shocking for us. We will turn gold on our next CCL cruise- and with Carnival you turn gold on the trip not after like with DCL. We still joke about the differences and still look at DCL, but it is so hard to justify the price. Thanks for your review. Made me smile!

 

[diseverestfan]

Thank you so much for your comparison! I will add it to the first post.

Look, I was a DCL snob in 2015 (who would laugh of Carnival ships because they would not look as good as ours, while being docked in Nassau) so I can relate.

I, for myself, am so glad that I went " to the dark side" because it opened a whole new world to me and also convinced me to try other cruise lines as well. Experiences may vary but ours has been great.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying something different!

Did you go to Half Moon Cay during your 5 nights? How did you think they compared?

I honestly can't pick a favorite between Castaway Cay and Half Moon Cay!

I'm glad you brought up Castaway and Half Moon, I wanted to include that in my review. (and I did read your review a few pages back )

I thought they were equal in terms of beauty and the lunch buffet. I thought Castaway was easier to get around. Better signage, wider paths, etc. We decided to pick up towels at Half Moon rather than take them off the ship and we couldn't find them without asking twice. We also like that on Castaway you can rent bikes and ride on your own versus having to do an excursion to ride on Half Moon.

So glad I was willing to try something different.

 

[diseverestfan]

What a great review! We had the exact same feelings about DCL and reaction to CCL. Our first CCL cruise was about a 6k verses 13k price difference. Also for a cruise with one extra day and better ports (Aruba, Curacao) on CCL. Even the biggest Disney snob (me) could not resist the idea of saving 7k!!! Nuts! There were some differences or "imperfections," but some differences are actually (gasp) better on CCL and no imperfection justified the price difference. What a wonderful trip, and our Disney loving kids absolutely LOVE CCL- also shocking for us. We will turn gold on our next CCL cruise- and with Carnival you turn gold on the trip not after like with DCL. We still joke about the differences and still look at DCL, but it is so hard to justify the price. Thanks for your review. Made me smile!

Thank you for the kind words, I agree with you completely. There would have to be some awfully big imperfections to spend an extra $7000!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Tell me more!!! Carnival may be doing Europe again? Loved our Vista Eastern Med.

I wish I had more clues! I have checked religiously all of the Med ports that could be included but most do not publish their calendars that far in advance. We will know on November 15 since itineraries will be released for sale that day. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[mevelandry]

I'm glad you brought up Castaway and Half Moon, I wanted to include that in my review. (and I did read your review a few pages back )

I thought they were equal in terms of beauty and the lunch buffet. I thought Castaway was easier to get around. Better signage, wider paths, etc. We decided to pick up towels at Half Moon rather than take them off the ship and we couldn't find them without asking twice. We also like that on Castaway you can rent bikes and ride on your own versus having to do an excursion to ride on Half Moon.

So glad I was willing to try something different.

I agree with what you said regarding the towels.

I wasn't sure about the bikes.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Hello all. I just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Carnival Elation and wanted to share a few thoughts. Before I do that, a little history - I had been on 2 previous cruises, both with Disney. In 2012 my family sailed on the Fantasy for a 7-night eastern Caribbean adventure just months after her christening. Then, a year later, it was a 4-night jaunt on the Dream to the Bahamas. Both were equally amazing, and having been to WDW 14 times as well, I was a certified Disney snob who, if I was being completely transparent...looked down on those who chose to cruise with Carnival. (as well as other cruise lines) In fact, back then I would have given my chances of getting struck by lightning twice as much higher than if I would ever lower myself to cruise on some "Fun Ship."...

Fast forward 5 years. This past spring I was looking for a way to do something exciting with my daughters, ages 17 and 16. Since they had equally amazing experiences on our Disney cruises I didn't hesitate to start the booking process for a repeat 4 night Bahama cruise in October. Wanted a veranda since I would be traveling without my wife this time around, and for the 3 of us the amount was just over $3500. Ouch. That was more than I was looking to spend for that amount of time. Now what? I'm an infrequent visitor on these boards but for whatever reason decided to log in and see what was happening at the parks. While playing around I came across this thread and started reading. Hmm. A good many people seemed to like these "cheap" Carnival cruises BUT...how could I? I was always all about all things Disney! Shame on me for even considering another line, much less...Carnival. It didn't even sound right saying it out loud. But again, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to gulp - go on the Carnival website and start pricing out the inferior trips they provide. I came across a 5 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Elation and for the same category room my price was...

$1298. What? Admittedly, I knew that Carnival was cheaper...that's part of the reason why I avoided them. My math: cheaper = get what you pay for. But this was something else...1/3 of the price of Disney for an EXTRA night? Now I was torn. I talked to my wife and told her what I found. She said "you're not really considering that are you?" to which I said "umm...hell yeah! It's a 1/3 of the price for a longer cruise!!!" Finally, after a few days of soul-searching and restless nights, I did it. I booked Carnival. Oh my, what did I get myself into?

For those of you reading this thread and god forbid my post, let me share with you one thing - if you're even considering a Carnival Cruise and never done so before...DO IT!!! We had an amazing time. Honestly, I was totally blown away. And while you can't compare the Elation (built in 1998) to the Disney Dream or Fantasy, there are a few things I'd like to compare and just share some candid thoughts. If you're still reading, here we go!

1. Cleanliness - we all thought the Elation was gorgeous and she has sure aged well. Understood that she had a massive rehab just last year, but the ship was a delight. Rich, dark woods and beautiful decor combined with the relatively small size made both the feeling and the accessibility wonderful. Great ship to sail on! I will say she rocks and rolls a good bit but that didn't bother me at all.

2. Customer Service - okay...this is one area that I thought that I thought would be a huge disparity between Disney and Carnival, and I was right. We all unanimously agreed that Carnival Elation staff was incredible, and way beyond what we got from Disney. Every, I mean every person we encountered was polite, and most were downright engaging. We talked about this the entire cruise. From Cam the CR to Zya our housekeeper to Rey and Juan in the dining room, they were all so wonderful that when we had to leave on Saturday it felt like we were leaving friends. Truly.

3. Food - Kind of a tossup here. I think the Cabanas buffet on DCL was far better than Tiffany's on Carnival. I'd say the food in the dining room was about equal, perhaps a slight edge to Carnival. I really enjoyed Guy's Burgers and honestly if it wasn't an option at lunchtime, that might have ended up being a disappointment. The Elation dining room is very nice but can't compare to the DCL ships.

4. Entertainment - I am not a drinker at all. Like zero. So, no comments on the multitude of bars and lounges on either line. What I can compare is Playlist Productions vs DCL's evening shows, and again, no contest. Carnival wins here by a HUGE margin! The Carnival shows "Divas" and "Epic Rock" blew us away. Fabulous dancing, singing, and special effects. Both shows were so good I went to both performances. In my limited sampling, major kudos to Carnival. (am I really saying this? )

5. Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - DCL's terminal is amazing and Jaxport is...well, like a warehouse. However, as far as getting in, parked, checked in, on and off the ship...so painless on Carnival. ( admission - I had booked FTTF which helped)

6. Value - I'm not going to bad mouth DCL. It is still a great line to cruise. However, much like the parks, they are pricing out a lot of people these days. I happen to be one of them. What I can tell you is that while Disney is truly magical and the ships have special touches that Carnival doesn't, there is no way it is worth the difference in price. No way. A price difference of over $2300 with one less night is absurd and was the only reason I ventured to Carnival to begin with.

Epilogue - I can't believe I spent years being too good for Carnival. No more. My next cruise, and hopefully many, many cruises to come will be on a Fun Ship. I loved every minute of my trip, and when I completed my follow-up survey today I had nothing negative to say other than perhaps offer more variety at the buffet. To all of you who like me have or are still Carnival bashers please stop if you haven't sailed with them yet. Your mileage may vary, but for me I'm a proud Carnival fan going forward.

Can't wait to sail a Fun Ship again.

A newly-made Carnival supporter,

Mike

Thanks for the detailed and great review.

On Carnival, what I like about the lunch options is that many of the ships have a lot of "made for you" items - they make pizza, deli, burritos/tacos, burgers, wok, or pasta fresh for each person to their specifications. With the elation being a smaller ship it doesn't have quite the options that some of the others do but I'm glad to hear you really enjoyed guy's burgers.

Did you get a chance to try the sea day brunch? That's a favourite in our house along with the sweets at the sea day afternoon tea (where you can also get coffee or lemonade).

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I wish I had more clues! I have checked religiously all of the Med ports that could be included but most do not publish their calendars that far in advance. We will know on November 15 since itineraries will be released for sale that day. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I was just on the Carnival website and they open to book on November 12, I signed up to receive email updates and supposedly “special” pricing. I really hope there’s a cruise in June that includes Greece.

 

[Monykalyn]

I'm not sure where you normally post since your not new to the dis, but this is a very friendly thread

yes it is!
Normally I am here and there on the disney world side of board-my oldest just finished her 2nd DCP this summer (and now talking about a third next summer ). Have been on Something about nothing on Universal side for s few years now. Let my Disney AP lapse in august (used alot while DD in the college program) and we are now premier UO pass holders (just went to first HHN in September). So I tend to "float" wherever

My biggest sticking point is price for DCL-for a 4 day cruise I can get 6-7 on CCL. But who knows-would really like to try them at least once.

 

[diseverestfan]

Thanks for the detailed and great review.

On Carnival, what I like about the lunch options is that many of the ships have a lot of "made for you" items - they make pizza, deli, burritos/tacos, burgers, wok, or pasta fresh for each person to their specifications. With the elation being a smaller ship it doesn't have quite the options that some of the others do but I'm glad to hear you really enjoyed guy's burgers.

Did you get a chance to try the sea day brunch? That's a favourite in our house along with the sweets at the sea day afternoon tea (where you can also get coffee or lemonade).

We didn't get to the Sea Day Brunch. I was talking to my wife last night and it sounds like I'll be booking my 2nd Carnival Cruise shortly, and I'm sure the 2 of us will enjoy that.

My daughters did enjoy the made to order pizza. Of course along with that came a bit of wait for it to be ready. I know they appreciated having it fresh and hot!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I was just on the Carnival website and they open to book on November 12, I signed up to receive email updates and supposedly “special” pricing. I really hope there’s a cruise in June that includes Greece.

Well, it was the 15th! How weird that they changed it. I had previously signed up for the email notification but just did it again in case the date change affected anything.

 

[belle032]

Thank you for your honest and refreshing review @diseverestfan !!

I wish more people would be open stepping outside their cruise comfort zone. Of course most people have their favorites, but that doesn’t mean you need to put down other cruise lines, especially if you don’t have any experience with them!

DH and I are CCL veterans but are trying our first DCL next year. Very excited to try it out! And honestly, whether it be CCL, DCL, RCL or NCL, it doesn’t matter! I can’t imagine ever having a bad time on a cruise.

 

[mevelandry]

Thanks for the detailed and great review.

On Carnival, what I like about the lunch options is that many of the ships have a lot of "made for you" items - they make pizza, deli, burritos/tacos, burgers, wok, or pasta fresh for each person to their specifications. With the elation being a smaller ship it doesn't have quite the options that some of the others do but I'm glad to hear you really enjoyed guy's burgers.

Did you get a chance to try the sea day brunch? That's a favourite in our house along with the sweets at the sea day afternoon tea (where you can also get coffee or lemonade).

There was no afternoon tea during my cruise on the Sensation. I was sad.

 

[diseverestfan]

Thank you for your honest and refreshing review @diseverestfan !!

I wish more people would be open stepping outside their cruise comfort zone. Of course most people have their favorites, but that doesn’t mean you need to put down other cruise lines, especially if you don’t have any experience with them!

DH and I are CCL veterans but are trying our first DCL next year. Very excited to try it out! And honestly, whether it be CCL, DCL, RCL or NCL, it doesn’t matter! I can’t imagine ever having a bad time on a cruise.

It's one thing to put something down, but it's really sad to do so when you've never given it a chance. I feel ashamed for how I acted about Carnival. I mean, we were treated like family last week. I was hoping that I'd tolerate the week and ended up being thoroughly impressed.

I hope your Disney cruise is Magical! What ship are you sailing and what is your itinerary? I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time...like you said, it really doesn't matter. Once your ship slides away from the dock, regardless of the cruise line, it's going to be awesome.