Could really use some opinions on DCL v Something like the Oasis OTS for ppl that have ONLY ever done Disney vacations.

[ppony]

My family has only ever done Disney vacations since 1994. As you can see in my signature, it's to annual by any means, but we've never vacations anywhere else or with anyone else.

It's hard to even fathom a vacation without the Mouse, BUT, I have thoughts.
MY oldest will be 19 when we cruise next. He's autistic. The only thing he truly cares about is swimming and that kind of activity. Food won't interest him either. He eats very VERY little variety. We love characters but honestly, we never stand in lines for meet and greets and none of us care to go to the shows DCL offers. Mostly because the seats are too small, but our son won't sit for a show, let alone a movie. We don't do the spas either. My love is the ocean air and the love of Disney. My husband was on an aircraft carrier in the Navy and enjoys the hell out of the rocking of a ship and the water. And as I said, we still love Disney.

This will be our 3rd cruise or any kind. So, given that we don't care about shows, we HATE crowds, and honestly only care that our son is entertained and happy while we enjoy the food and ocean air, are we just holding on to nostalgia for Disney when we might perhaps enjoy another ship as much or more?

I'm really interested in opinions from other more frequent cruisers that clearly love Disney or they wouldn't be here.

 

[Cfabar1]

We did Allure of the Seas and have done all three classes of Disney Ship....

A few things RCL does better:
- More varied entertainment options. Go to an art auction one day, a true broadway length show the next day, do the rock climbing wall, or try the Aqua Flo Rider or whatever it is called, the water gymnasts in the Aquatheatre are incredible to see - nothing like that on DCL, so much more casual live entertainment - jazz artists and singers, not just a pianist sitting around playing disney songs
- Caters to a less kid-necessary audience
- More interesting itineraries and ports, if for no reason than they have so many more ships and can vary and provide more options
- Muster drill/safety process is way better since you don't have to waste 45 minutes dealing with it
- Cabanas are properly priced, meaning, you don't have to have cruised 40 times and sell your first born to have a chance to get one....

Things that RCL did neutrally or on par as Disney
- Guest Services staff
-Stateroom attendant quality
- Serving staff all excellent

Things RCL does worse than Disney
- Food is much worse
- Cabins are smaller, bathrooms are terrible compared to Disney in standard cabins
- Atmosphere is more "adult", which means some events are more risqué and can be hard for multi-generational trips with kids and adults
- much more smoking because of the casino
- everywhere you go you are constantly being pushed to spend money - DCL feels more inclusive, I'm not sure it actually is that much more inclusive, but RCL is very pushy with the premium dining, and other add ons
- The ships are so big - which makes it really feel like you are on the shopping mall and hotel of the seas, it doesn't have the same intimate feel of DCL
- Recently RCL has dropped two daily cleanings of the cabins, which is for me one of the best parts of cruising.
- To us, everything feels just a little sketchier on RCL than DCL... don't really know how else to say it...

With young kids we prefer DCL, but could see ourselves moving on from them sooner rather than later when the kids get older...

 

[ppony]

We did Allure of the Seas and have done all three classes of Disney Ship....

A few things RCL does better:
- More varied entertainment options. Go to an art auction one day, a true broadway length show the next day, do the rock climbing wall, or try the Aqua Flo Rider or whatever it is called, the water gymnasts in the Aquatheatre are incredible to see - nothing like that on DCL, so much more casual live entertainment - jazz artists and singers, not just a pianist sitting around playing disney songs
- Caters to a less kid-necessary audience
- More interesting itineraries and ports, if for no reason than they have so many more ships and can vary and provide more options
- Muster drill/safety process is way better since you don't have to waste 45 minutes dealing with it
- Cabanas are properly priced, meaning, you don't have to have cruised 40 times and sell your first born to have a chance to get one....

Things that RCL did neutrally or on par as Disney
- Guest Services staff
-Stateroom attendant quality
- Serving staff all excellent

Things RCL does worse than Disney
- Food is much worse
- Cabins are smaller, bathrooms are terrible compared to Disney in standard cabins
- Atmosphere is more "adult", which means some events are more risqué and can be hard for multi-generational trips with kids and adults
- much more smoking because of the casino
- everywhere you go you are constantly being pushed to spend money - DCL feels more inclusive, I'm not sure it actually is that much more inclusive, but RCL is very pushy with the premium dining, and other add ons
- The ships are so big - which makes it really feel like you are on the shopping mall and hotel of the seas, it doesn't have the same intimate feel of DCL
- Recently RCL has dropped two daily cleanings of the cabins, which is for me one of the best parts of cruising.
- To us, everything feels just a little sketchier on RCL than DCL... don't really know how else to say it...

With young kids we prefer DCL, but could see ourselves moving on from them sooner rather than later when the kids get older...

That was INCREDIBLY helpful and detailed! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your taking the time to write all of that. It really helps me weigh things out.

 

[DisneyDad0315]

My wife and I were huge Disney people before we had children. We had annual passes and went to Aulani often when it was just the two of us. Then we had kids, we got them Annual passes and they got to enjoy the Mouse too. We own DVC at Aulani and go every year as a family. My kids are 4 and 9 now and I can see my oldest has different taste in activities now. She loves seeing the Disney princess but she REALLY want to do the stuff she sees on Royal Caribbean. She wants to do the rock wall and go on all those water slides. We saw some videos together of Icon of the Seas and she thought it was so cool. My wife and I have been talking about going on a RC cruise and I just gotta do some math. I am unsure how much it will cost once I add on everything like restaurants, rock climbing, soda package and whatever else we decide is worth it. We love Disney and all their attractions but I my kids tastes changes and my wife and I will accommodate that.

 

[MomOTwins]

I love disney cruises but I don't think they do water activities very well. The pools are small and fill up with tons of small kids, and often have to close for cleaning because of people who cheat and bring non-potty trained kids in. They only really have one slide suitable for teens/adults and it gets a long line, whereas other cruise lines often have multiple slides. The private islands have the ocean of course, but on castaway cay I really don't like their Pelican Plunge slides because of the way they dump you in the ocean and they are short/small, and on lookout cay the water play area is really meant for little kids. I do think it sounds like you'd enjoy a big ship with a big water park and Coco Cay with its pools and water slides more.

 

[Dug720]

enjoys the hell out of the rocking of a ship

Oasis and it's bigger sisters are so large that unless you're going through a big storm, you're not going to feel ANY rocking.

 

[KKKKCS]

We have done a lot of Disney cruises, 19 for my wife and 17 for me. We have also done 2 Royal Carribbean, 1 Norwegian, and 1 Celebrity. Of those non Disney cruise lines Celebrity was by far the best for customer service, coming close to Disney. Royal was fine, would go again. Norwegian was awful, customer service was nearly nonexistent.

 

[FreeTime]

Having recently sailed on both I agree with much of what cfarbar has said. However, I disagree on the food. I felt RCCL had less variety but it tasted much better. I would vote good on both as mediocre though.

No rocking on the bigger ships.

Maybe try a shorter cruise, I would suggest at least 4 nights, to see if you like RCCL.

 

[mjkacmom]

My wife and I were huge Disney people before we had children. We had annual passes and went to Aulani often when it was just the two of us. Then we had kids, we got them Annual passes and they got to enjoy the Mouse too. We own DVC at Aulani and go every year as a family. My kids are 4 and 9 now and I can see my oldest has different taste in activities now. She loves seeing the Disney princess but she REALLY want to do the stuff she sees on Royal Caribbean. She wants to do the rock wall and go on all those water slides. We saw some videos together of Icon of the Seas and she thought it was so cool. My wife and I have been talking about going on a RC cruise and I just gotta do some math. I am unsure how much it will cost once I add on everything like restaurants, rock climbing, soda package and whatever else we decide is worth it. We love Disney and all their attractions but I my kids tastes changes and my wife and I will accommodate that.

Doesn’t DCL also charge for specialty restaurants? Rock climbing is probably free. We only sailed DCL once, it was fine, but we felt definitely not worth the $.

 

[CM Dad]

- Cabanas are properly priced, meaning, you don't have to have cruised 40 times and sell your first born to have a chance to get one....

It's been a while since we have done a Disney cruise, so I don't know what the pricing is, but for an upcoming Royal cruise, an overwater cabana it going for $3408.90. Looks like other cabanas can be as "cheap" as $1648.90. Prices vary for different cruises.

There a are lot more cabanas on Perfect Day compared to Castaway Cay, so you do have a better chance to actually book one. They also let you book excursions any time, and don't restrict when you can book based on whether you are concierge or based on you cruise line loyalty level

 

[LAS2AMS]

Things RCL does worse than Disney
- Food is much worse
- Cabins are smaller, bathrooms are terrible compared to Disney in standard cabins
- Atmosphere is more "adult", which means some events are more risqué and can be hard for multi-generational trips with kids and adults
- much more smoking because of the casino
- everywhere you go you are constantly being pushed to spend money - DCL feels more inclusive, I'm not sure it actually is that much more inclusive, but RCL is very pushy with the premium dining, and other add ons
- The ships are so big - which makes it really feel like you are on the shopping mall and hotel of the seas, it doesn't have the same intimate feel of DCL
- Recently RCL has dropped two daily cleanings of the cabins, which is for me one of the best parts of cruising.
- To us, everything feels just a little sketchier on RCL than DCL... don't really know how else to say it...

A lot of these points are unfair:
- Food is heavily subjective. RCL people think DCL food is inedible, DCL people think the same thing of RCL. Loyalty tends to impair judgement. Overall, most professional cruise blogs will agree that among the mainstream cruise lines, food is very comparable.
- Comparable cabins on the old school Magic/ Wonder are noticeable larger, but most people wouldn’t be able to tell on the Wish/etc. That’s a blanket statement about bathrooms, as many cabins on DCL (typically interior) don’t have split bathrooms, and some RCL ships do have “family” cabins that feature split bathrooms.
- Both RCL and DCL have events/ entertainment targeting families, children, adults and inclusive. There are no “risqué” events held in the open. All risqué events in RCL are held in private venues and age requirements are enforced. RCL’s most risqué events have been largely retired, and what’s left is fairly similar to the adult events hosted late on DCL.
- With few exceptions, the casinos are built out of the way and you only go near them if you want to. Smokers are going to smoke, the casino provides a convenient area to do so. I have witnessed far more people on DCL lighting it up in non designated areas.
- Every cruise line, including DCL, does upsells. The only “pushy” people tend to be spa… who also tend to be “pushy” on DCL. RCL offers more free activities and entertainment than DCL, only premium options have a price, and DCL doesn’t have an equivalent so it’s hard to argue DCL is more inclusive. Newer ships generally bring up upcharges regardless of the line and including DCL.
- Most people prefer bigger ships. If you find and stick to your routine, it’ll feel intimate. It’s just a preference.
- if you ask RCL to lower your beds and remove your wet towels at night, they will do so. It’s far less of a deal than you and others make it.
- I’ve seen a lot of sketchy behavior on DCL. Watching grown men fight over not getting a picture with Captain America is, well pathetic. Obviously you prefer DCL and that’s okay. Given the OP hasn’t desired to do any traveling besides Disney for decades, I’m sure they’ll feel the same way.

 

[Dug720]

- With few exceptions, the casinos are built out of the way and you only go near them if you want to.

On each Royal and Celebrity ship I've been on, the Casino is right off the main artium - not "out of the way".

 

[Mango7100]

You are paying a big Disney premium on their cruises for Disney stuff. If you don’t do character meets, don’t like the shows, and maybe MDR dining isn’t as important then I don’t know if DCL is as beneficial. Consider Celebrity. We did a sailing on Celebrity Beyond last July with our daughter and loved it. They had an adults only solarium pool that is quiet and not crowded that your son may enjoy. Their main pool was much bigger than DCL—no water slides or splash pads and no movies playing which made it more relaxing. There is a more variety of shows that maybe you would like more—magician, Cirque de Soleil type, Broadway songs, guitarists, etc. The whole aft of the ship on one level is an outdoor bar and sitting area that you can have drinks, listen to music, and watch the ocean with little crowds. They also had an outdoor garden space called Rooftop Garden with lots of seating and would be quiet. Their food was markedly better than DCL in the opinion of our family. Dinings is anytime so you go when you want which is nice. No need to wait for your time and have a mass of people being served at the same time. There are 4 restaurants that are included in your fare for dinner. You can go to the same one every time or different ones. We usually went around opening at 5 and always got a seat with an ocean view and it was not crowded.

We are doing Treasure in March but going back on the Beyond this summer.

 

[LAS2AMS]

On each Royal and Celebrity ship I've been on, the Casino is right off the main artium - not "out of the way".

The casino is usually below the Promenade. If you wind up in the casino, it’s because you want to be there.

 

[Mango7100]

On each Royal and Celebrity ship I've been on, the Casino is right off the main artium - not "out of the way".

I believe there is no smoking in Celebrity casinos anyway, so it’s a non issue.

 

[tidefan]

Don't limit your thoughts to just RCCL. There are other excellent options out there. Folks above have already mentioned Celebrity, which won't have the bells and whistles, but the food will be much better. I might say the same about Princess (if you are on one of the Royal class ships or above, maybe not the Grand class ships). Don't even sleep on Carnival. Consider one of the 3 new ships (Mardi Gras, Celebration, or Jubilee) and they are excellent as well.

Lastly, you mention your son is 19. Well, if you are all 18+, I would recommend Virgin Voyages hands-down. The food is amazing and having that hammock on the balcony is a game-changer...

 

[NephieRN]

- if you ask RCL to lower your beds and remove your wet towels at night, they will do so. It’s far less of a deal than you and others make it.

I asked and was flat out told no on the Harmony last year so we just kept couch bed made 24/7. Not a deal breaker but it is annoying when traveling with kids.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I asked and was flat out told no on the Harmony last year so we just kept couch bed made 24/7. Not a deal breaker but it is annoying when traveling with kids.

Who did you ask? We ask our stateroom attendants to raise the beds early and lower them at night, and they’ve never said no. Not asking them to re-make the beds or anything.like that. I would expect that some may say no, but a quick call to guest relations should resolve it.

 

[Dug720]

The casino is usually below the Promenade. If you wind up in the casino, it’s because you want to be there.

Anthem it is on Deck 3 and directly between the Music Hall and 2 of the main dining rooms. If you are in the Music Hall and want to get to one of those two dining rooms without going up and down, you have to walk through the casino (or the other way around)

On Radiance Class it's on Deck 6 and between the mid-ship elevators/Champagne Bar and the English Pub. You have to make sure you're on the forward elevators to get to the English Pub without going through.

But the issue remains that smoke doesn't know where the boundaries are so if enough are smoking in there, the stench is going to leak out.

I believe there is no smoking in Celebrity casinos anyway, so it’s a non issue.

This is correct. They tried experimenting with vaping, but that got the kibosh after many of us complained.

 

[NephieRN]

Who did you ask? We ask our stateroom attendants to raise the beds early and lower them at night, and they’ve never said no. Not asking them to re-make the beds or anything.like that. I would expect that some may say no, but a quick call to guest relations should resolve it.

Our stateroom attendant. It wasn’t something I was willing to potentially get them in trouble over by going to guest services. But when you’re getting double the gratuity because it’s a 4 person cabin vs a 2 person cabin, I don’t feel like I should even have to go to guest services. It’s not unreasonable to expect them to put the bed away in the morning and make it up at night. Again, not a dealbreaker bc it’s 1/3 the cost of Disney and I’ve learned to not expect Disney level of service.