ruadisneyfan2
DIS Legend
- Joined
- May 20, 2006
- Messages
- 17,417
We tried RC, Celebrity and Princess since taking our first Disney cruise. The RC was just meh. I'm not into a hairy leg contest. That's just not real entertainment for me. Also it was Spring Break and there were a lot of young sloppy drunks. I could write a book here but I won't.
The Celebrity cruise (Aqua class) was probably closest to DCL in service and food quality, but the ship was older (still younger than the Magic) and in depserate need of some maintenance. The entertainment options were lame compared to DCL. I kept trying to keep an open mind and stop nitpicking at the parts of the ship that look like they're literally falling apart but after a while I started taking pictures of it because I couldn't stand it anymore. Things like electrical wires hanging down from lights beneath the railings.
Our last stop was Nassau and sure enough, we docked next to the Dream. Close enough that I could hear the chimes before they made an announcement.
Of course the CMs were already out there cleaning and spraying her down. I'm watching her shine and thinking how much I'd rather be there. 
Our Princess cruise was just in September. It was a 12-nt British Isles to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and France for our 30th anniversary. I was willing to try Princess only because it was a very port-intensive itinerary and I knew we'd not be on the ship all that much, just a place to sleep and shower, eat breakfast & dinner. After a few days we were too tired most evenings for shows. Some were good. Some were so bad we can't believe we sat through them. The average age was probably 75. I'm in my late 50s and I only saw a handful of people younger than me.
Dh would like to try Virgin on the recommendation of a coworker who has also cruised DCL when her kids were young.
I already don't like their cabin layout and furniture in a regular balcony cabin but I will do it for dh. I already predict he will complain about that and it will remind him how nice DCL cabins are and how much storage they have. Cabins are only one aspect of a cruise, not everything to me, so I'm still willing to see what else they offer in a cruise experience. No definite plans as of now. Maybe in the fall. We are booked on the Treasure in April.
The Celebrity cruise (Aqua class) was probably closest to DCL in service and food quality, but the ship was older (still younger than the Magic) and in depserate need of some maintenance. The entertainment options were lame compared to DCL. I kept trying to keep an open mind and stop nitpicking at the parts of the ship that look like they're literally falling apart but after a while I started taking pictures of it because I couldn't stand it anymore. Things like electrical wires hanging down from lights beneath the railings.
Our last stop was Nassau and sure enough, we docked next to the Dream. Close enough that I could hear the chimes before they made an announcement.
Of course the CMs were already out there cleaning and spraying her down. I'm watching her shine and thinking how much I'd rather be there. Our Princess cruise was just in September. It was a 12-nt British Isles to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and France for our 30th anniversary. I was willing to try Princess only because it was a very port-intensive itinerary and I knew we'd not be on the ship all that much, just a place to sleep and shower, eat breakfast & dinner. After a few days we were too tired most evenings for shows. Some were good. Some were so bad we can't believe we sat through them. The average age was probably 75. I'm in my late 50s and I only saw a handful of people younger than me.
Dh would like to try Virgin on the recommendation of a coworker who has also cruised DCL when her kids were young.
I already don't like their cabin layout and furniture in a regular balcony cabin but I will do it for dh. I already predict he will complain about that and it will remind him how nice DCL cabins are and how much storage they have. Cabins are only one aspect of a cruise, not everything to me, so I'm still willing to see what else they offer in a cruise experience. No definite plans as of now. Maybe in the fall. We are booked on the Treasure in April.
