DCL vs Celebrity/RCL/Norwegian

[my3luckycharms]

I hope this is OK to ask here . We have been on 3 Disney cruises (Mexico, Eastern Caribbean & California Coast) and we currently have another placeholder booked that we need to use by May 2017. With our kids schedules and the pricing I think we may need to give up our booking and look at another cruise line or vacation.
One that I am considering is Celebrity (Reflection) and was wondering if anyone has cruised both lines and can give me their feedback. We LOOOOOVE Disney and I think because that was our first cruise we have been spoiled. We have only been on a Princess Cruise that wasn't great so I am hesitant about another cruise line. Our kids are 12 and 9 if that helps at all!
Also, if you have any experience with other lines that we should explore I would love to hear!

 

[GatorMomInNC]

We cruised Celebrity Solstice on Alaska with my 8 and 11 year olds in September. I posted a comparison...can you find it somehow? I'm on my iPad and I can never search well on it.

Overall, really enjoyed it. We did purchase the "VIP" kids package so they could spend more time in the clubs. Otherwise it would have been pretty bad -- the clubs close at lunch, dinner, and then 10pm. But, my kids LOVED the counselors and the clubs. I do think a lot of this had to do with the fact there were very few kids on the cruise --if i recall correctly there were maybe 30, and when you discount the toddlers and the teens, there were very few kids and they formed a tight knit group for our 11night cruise.

Biggest disappointment was the lack of family activities, starting with the shows, which were a lot different than Disney and for the most part not really for kids. With maybe 2 exceptions, the kids didn't go to the shows, and I skipped most. In comparison, I rarely skip a show on DCL. Same with dinner... Kids are with counselors in the buffet 2/3of the time (although I guess this speaks to how much they loved the kids club, but they couldn't have done that except I paid the extra money). I found myself in the evenings with kind of a lack of things to do, but I adjusted by drinking with my husband (we had the premium package) and going to adult "game" shows, which was fun.

Again , overall it was a fantastic cruise, I'm kind of dwelling on the negatives vs DCL for this truncated comparison. I had fun, but missed my evening "family time" with the kids that I am used to on DCL.

 

[niccikatie]

We sailed Celebrity Constellation during this past Spring Break. It was great! Service was excellent, food was good. Adults only areas were amazing. Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED the drink package. Being able to get bottled water delivered to my chaise at no additional charge was fantastic. The atmosphere was different, though. Things weren't as family friendly - as in there weren't as many family focused options. DD - who was 10 at the time - enjoyed herself a lot, but wouldn't go to the Kids Club, though she loves the one on disney. I think some of that was that it was an all girls trip - Me, my Mom, two aunts, and their 16/17 yo DDs and she didn't want to miss any of the fun. I wouldn't hesitate to book them again. We just had an amazing EBPC on Disney, but I don't know that we'll be back. Everything DCL is taking away and the prices still being sky-high make me question if we'd do it again. I really feel like the value was better on Celebrity and we just made our own family fun - the price we paid for 3 in a concierge aft verandah plus drink packages for the two adults and non-alcohol package for the third, some internet minutes, and a $300 OBC (which I struggled to spend with the drink package - they don't even give you a receipt for additional gratuity) was less than what I would have paid for the base cruise on Disney in an ocean view for the 3 of us with similar ports.

 

[my3luckycharms]

Thank you both for your replies! The first cruise with DCL (kids were 5 & 8) we did all the shows. The last 2 cruises they weren't really interested in the shows so we didn't even see them so I don't feel like we would be missing out on that aspect. Is the dining set up similar to DCL? Do they have a rotation for dinners or do you have to make reservations for certain restaurants (like we did on Princess). The biggest thing we loved about DCL (besides the Disney aspect) was the amazing staff and cleanliness (I've always been a little freaked out about germs, cruises, etc).

If either of you remember do you know how much the charge was for the "VIP" kids package and the drink package? I'm researching but having some trouble finding it.

 

[niccikatie]

We didn't do the VIP package, so I don't know that price. We did the classic alcohol package for the adults which was included but would cost 55.00/night. For DD she did the premium non-alcohol (so she could get smoothies, virgin drinks, and bottled beverages). The classic non-alcohol was included but would cost 18.00/night. The premium non-alcohol was 22.00/night, so we used our OBC for the difference (4.00/night - or $20.00 for our cruise). We found the beverage packages very worth it, since they included all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. If you go this route, it's pretty easy to find what's included in each tier and make your decision that way. Or, you can go with the least expensive package and upgrade during the cruise - they pro-rate for the remaining nights.

hope that helps!

 

[jdb in AZ]

One difference I like about Celebrity -- on each cruise they have an amazing brunch that includes everyone with no up-charge, no reservations needed, and it's even better than Palo.

We cruised the Celebrity Millennium from Sydney Australia, to the southern coast of New Zealand and northeast to Auckland. Donald Cant, star of the Australia version of Phantom of the Opera had just finished up a theatre contract and was cruising with us. One evening he gave an unforgettable performance. Other than that, the Celebrity evening entertainment can't hold a candle to DCL, so we usually didn't bother to attend.

We also did a Baltic cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse and saved enough (compared to a somewhat similar DCL itinerary) to pay for some great shore excursions. The food also "eclipsed" DCL.

 

[TXDCLfan]

I hope this is OK to ask here . We have been on 3 Disney cruises (Mexico, Eastern Caribbean & California Coast) and we currently have another placeholder booked that we need to use by May 2017. With our kids schedules and the pricing I think we may need to give up our booking and look at another cruise line or vacation.
One that I am considering is Celebrity (Reflection) and was wondering if anyone has cruised both lines and can give me their feedback. We LOOOOOVE Disney and I think because that was our first cruise we have been spoiled. We have only been on a Princess Cruise that wasn't great so I am hesitant about another cruise line. Our kids are 12 and 9 if that helps at all!
Also, if you have any experience with other lines that we should explore I would love to hear!

If you are looking for another cruise line with kids that are in the age bracket of yours I would look at the new NCL ships. The NCL ships have awesome water slides,rock wall climbing and an amazing ropes course. We found the service to be equal to DCL and and the food quality and options better on NCL. The shows on NCL are excellent and adults will have many options in the later hours compared to DCL.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Thank you both for your replies! The first cruise with DCL (kids were 5 & 8) we did all the shows. The last 2 cruises they weren't really interested in the shows so we didn't even see them so I don't feel like we would be missing out on that aspect. Is the dining set up similar to DCL? Do they have a rotation for dinners or do you have to make reservations for certain restaurants (like we did on Princess). The biggest thing we loved about DCL (besides the Disney aspect) was the amazing staff and cleanliness (I've always been a little freaked out about germs, cruises, etc).

If either of you remember do you know how much the charge was for the "VIP" kids package and the drink package? I'm researching but having some trouble finding it.

Before I left I called Celebrity to get the price of the VIP and was told I would have to ask on board as it varies by cruise length. For our 11night cruise it was $175 per child. Pretty steep, but worth it as the kids could basically go anytime from 9am to midnight (which is the norm for DCL). Plus, for some reason we got a large on board credit which covered the cost and then some. Otherwise I think they would have had to leave from 12-2 snd 5-7 and then closing at 10 pm. The VIP package also included a backstage tour of the theater, a bridge tour where they met the captain, a sports bag and a t-shirt.

There were five counselors altogether, and they were great. At lunch and dinner time a couple counselors would go with my kids and the 2 other kids who did the VIP to the buffet. We would go there to join them as the kids wanted to sit with them and not us! I actually tipped the counselors $20 each, so altogether the "childcare" ran $450. Keep in mind though, there were VERY few kids on this cruise (mid-September), and it was practically a one to one/two ratio at any given time in the kids club. During peak season - summer or holidays-I suspect there are 10x the number of kids and a very different experience.

The drink package was AWESOME. Classic alcohol (for us) and non-alcohol (for kids) was included in the fare. We chose to upgrade all of us to premium so the kids could get smoothies whenever they wanted. I don't remember the cost to upgrade, but well worth it. I loved getting anything to drink i wanted whenever I wanted.

Speaking of the fare, it was significantly cheaper for an 11 night cruise on Celebrity than a 7 night on DCL. But since then I have priced Celebrity (to Europe) and haven't found any good deals. In fact, I did an onboard booking but cancelled after I got home as the prices were just too high. It could be that Carribbean cruise on Celebrity are cheaper, I didn't look.

Oh, and Solstice was a beautiful ship!

We did anytime dining in the MDR and the food was good, service was fine. Not the same as DCL as far as rotational dining and service, but we skipped a few nights and as I said, the kids never wanted to eat in the MDR. Strict dress code which I didn't like. Buffet was very good.

We did one specialty restaurant which was good. Similar to PF Chang. But for $70 too expensive as I think I could have spent the same at home for the same meal and since I already paid cruise fare I think it should be more of a bargain.

 

[Lesverts]

Celebrity is a great line, Loved it the first time, going again in a month. It is not the most family, child friendly line. Since it does cater to older, couples and the 30's upper-middle class set. Dinning is one main dining room and a number of specialty restaurants. Food was generally fantastic, crew where generally good. Really loved a few in particular. It is definitely a more adult-oriented line. It has its benefits, particularly being able to pay for the cruise to become all-inclusive before you go at significant savings. Overall with kids I would look at Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Both have more kids activities, both are generally more affordable and they are more inline with what I think you are looking for in a family vacation. Just be mindful to add drink packages, gratuity, dining, room credits etc before you get on a Norwegian ship or the costs add up quickly.

 

[my3luckycharms]

Thank you all! So from doing a little more research I am thinking that RCL & Norwegian might be a better fit for us! Even my husband seemed excited about the surf pool and rock climbing wall lol. It's just so hard to stray from DCL but I love reading everyone's great experiences!

 

[californiamomofboys]

We did NCL Epic over spring break and my boys, ages 9 and 11 LOVED it as they like SpongeBob more than Disney stuff. I do believe NCL ended it's affiliation with Nikelodeon recently however, so that will likely change our preference. My boys spent more time in the Disney kids' clubs than on NCL but really liked the Blue Man Group and the Cirque du Soleil type shows the Epic had last year.....There are options other than Disney and at much lower price points that are enjoyable, albeit different than DCL. Don't be afraid to try a different line assuming you do your research and choose a ship that you know will have things that appeal to your family.

 

[Hundredacre]

I hope this is OK to ask here . We have been on 3 Disney cruises (Mexico, Eastern Caribbean & California Coast) and we currently have another placeholder booked that we need to use by May 2017. With our kids schedules and the pricing I think we may need to give up our booking and look at another cruise line or vacation.
One that I am considering is Celebrity (Reflection) and was wondering if anyone has cruised both lines and can give me their feedback. We LOOOOOVE Disney and I think because that was our first cruise we have been spoiled. We have only been on a Princess Cruise that wasn't great so I am hesitant about another cruise line. Our kids are 12 and 9 if that helps at all!
Also, if you have any experience with other lines that we should explore I would love to hear!

I would also love any more feedback anyone has on the celebrity reflection or any celebrity kids club. We just booked on the reflection for next year. They have a $25 promo deposit right now, plus other promotions. We are nervous about the kids clubs because we have never been on celebrity and there does not seem to be much info on their kids clubs out there.