Disney Cruises Competition Comparison

[mousebrat]

One thing that we like about Disney is the style of the ships. You can look at pictures of the ships from various lines and get an idea of some of the differences. The DCL fleet takes cues from ocean liners with the multiple funnels, dark hull, elongated bow. On the outside, the DCL ships are like the younger siblings of the Cunard fleet. DCL interiors are either art nouveau or art deco. Other lines have historically seemed a bit too Las Vegas for our taste, but we are intrigued by some of the newer ships, particularly RCCL.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I have to disagree with this. I did a side by side comparison on a 7 night cruise RT to Alaska out of Seattle. NCL came in $5k(as in Thousand) cheaper for a 2 bedroom balcony suite with butler and concierge vs DCL 1 bedroom suite with concierge. Almost identical itinerary. Ship size the same. As for beverages, a drink card on NCL is about $60 a week per person. Since I am the only one in the family that drinks soda, that's a no brainer. I do my own excursions with private companies vs ship's desk, so that's a wash. I could take the family to the most expensive restaurant on the NCL boat ($25 pp) every night and not eat up $5k. If I gamble it will be at most $100 and we'll spend about $300 on alcohol regardless of the ship. We never buy the overpriced pictures so there's no charge there. So you definitely can see that there is a significant difference regarding the bottom line.

However that is only one category and the high priced one at that. I would fully expect to pay more at DCL for the top of the line.

AKK

 

[Stryker927]

Thanks for all the great information and advice. I came here because I have been to Cruise Critic and honestly was leaning towards RCCL so I wanted to see the other side of it. I appreciate the honest feedback. We received the free DVD in the mail regarding the cruise. Honestly it wasn't all that informative regarding how things worked, just marketing hype to get you to go. Yeah, I know, what else would you expect.

I do have a few more questions (thanks in advance)
- So dining is included, is that a meal allotment similar to Disney Dining Plan or is it eat whatever whenever? I know the high end places aren't included like Remy's, etc
- Assuming the Caribbean or Bahama cruise, what are the MUST do Shore Excursions? Not looking to break the bank so I would like to shoot for 1-2 very memorable excursions. Probably something in the $40-60/person range.
- I understand you can setup bus rides to and from the airport for a fee but have been told that renting a rental car one way is a better option as long as you are ok taking taxi or walking from the rental car drop off to the ship's terminal. Thoughts or experience?

 

[tweis]

You can eat breakfast wherever you want at any of the restaurants that are open until they close. This will be on your navigator. Same for lunch. Cabanas (the buffet) is open for breakfast and lunch will longer hours than they MDRs. Dinner you will choose upon making your reservation if you want main or late dining. Main is 5:45 and late is 8:00 (i think). DCL has three MDRs and you will be assigned a nightly rotation. Also, there are quick services options on Deck 11 with various hours that are also included in your cruise price.

As for excursions we did not book any and were glad because we had 2 days on Castaway Cay and there was so much to do that we really didn't have time for anything else. This works if you and your family enjoy the water and the slide that is there.

 

[goofymama]

Hi,

My family and I are looking into our first cruise next in 2013. Since we are such big Disney fans we are obviously interested in the Disney Cruises however after comparing prices Disney is quite a bit more expensive than Royal Caribbean or Carnival. I have heard bad things about Carnival so I was leaning more towards a comparison to Royal Caribbean. Other than the "Disney difference" that makes things so magical, what are the major differentiators for you that make a Disney cruise worth the extra expense? Thanks for your feedback!

Here's my $0.02. I've sailed Carnival, DCL and RCCL. Carnival is great for the young partying crowd. I wouldn't sail them now. I think both DCL and RCCL are great. DCL has that magical Disney touch, beautiful classic ships (none are prettier IMO) and larger, well appointed staterooms with the bath and a half which is great for a family of 4. RCCL has a casino and my time dining which I love. DCL also wins for its private island. Castaway cay is paradise, I didn't care for coco cay at all. Everything else is equal IMO. My kids enjoyed the kids clubs on both ships, entertainment was good on both, food quality is similar. DCL new ships have a water coaster, RCCL newer ships have a flow rider.

If you are big DIsney fans and can swing the price, I think you should definitely go with DCL for your first cruise. You will appreciate the Disney touch.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Thanks for all the great information and advice. I came here because I have been to Cruise Critic and honestly was leaning towards RCCL so I wanted to see the other side of it. I appreciate the honest feedback. We received the free DVD in the mail regarding the cruise. Honestly it wasn't all that informative regarding how things worked, just marketing hype to get you to go. Yeah, I know, what else would you expect.

I do have a few more questions (thanks in advance)
- So dining is included, is that a meal allotment similar to Disney Dining Plan or is it eat whatever whenever? I know the high end places aren't included like Remy's, etc - Assuming the Caribbean or Bahama cruise, what are the MUST do Shore Excursions? Not looking to break the bank so I would like to shoot for 1-2 very memorable excursions. Probably something in the $40-60/person range.
- I understand you can setup bus rides to and from the airport for a fee but have been told that renting a rental car one way is a better option as long as you are ok taking taxi or walking from the rental car drop off to the ship's terminal. Thoughts or experience?

There's no meal allotment -- you can eat as many times a day as your stomach/appetite allows. Everyone is assigned a dinner table, and you rotate each night with the same table companions and waiters.

Renting a car is a cheaper option than the bus for a family, if you don't mind the extra time/hassle involved in dropping off the car then catching a shuttle to the ship. The bus transfers are $35 per person each way. If you have three or more family members it would be cheaper to hire a town car or limo and they'll include a stop along the way for snacks/drinks to take onto the ship.

 

[Danmangto]

One big thing to note is that if your kids are under 3yrs old, you have to pay $7 an hour babysitting and it's limited hours based on the length of the cruise.

Cunard, Queen Mary 2, kids under 3 is FREE (included) in the price of the cruise and no limit on hours, within reason. Yet Disney prides itself on being a line for families with kids.. If you have kids under 3yrs old, QM2 is the better way to go.

As for pricing, Disney is nearly as expensive as QM2, sometimes more $$. Cunard gives 5% discounts to repeat cruisers, regardless of when you book. Disney you only get the 10% if you book while on board.

 

[NancyIL]

I post frequently at Cruise Critic. However, I've found that people who post there tend to be as biased towards their favorite cruise line as the DCL fans who post on the DIS! If I want a more objective opinion about a cruise line or a particular ship, I check out the official Cruise Critic reviews: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/

 

[ppaigeyy]

We just got back from a 5 night on the Dream and we loved it! However, our TA went on the inagural Dream cruise last year and blocked several rooms at super low rates. Had it not been for that we probably would not have sailed DCL. We had found low rates online when we started looking around Dec 2010 and her rates were even lower so it was a no brainer for us. Since then DCLs rates have skyrocketed! I have never sailed another line but DH and I are seriously considering Carnival for just the two of us just to see how it is. If it is good we will book it for our family. Also, really thinking about Oasis and Allure.

Not trying to bash DCL or posters but room service is not free and neither are your sodas. You have already paid for them in your cruise cost.

Room service is also free on Carnival. Don't worry about the "rumors" of Carnival, just make it a seven day trip, not a 4 day.....although I actually LIKE staying up late drinking and hanging out in the piano bar/casino/club when it's just DH and me...not sure why that's always referred to as a bad thing. Vacation ya'll! Loosen up!

Why is it always people who have NEVER cruised with Carnival who say it's a rowdy party boat? Drives me nuts! I would never give my opinion about a cruise line if I've never been on one.

I am planning on trying the RCI Oasis or Allure AND the NCL Epic or Breakaway. CAN. NOT. WAIT. I'll be booking those after I sail on the next 3 I already have booked....Especially looking forward to my Carnival Magic cruise next month!

 

[ppaigeyy]

It's all in what you are looking for:

People on this board will rave about the "little things" that Disney does better. They'll tell you about free sodas and servers that remember your name and drink preferences etc. Parents rave about their assistant waiter cutting their child's food or showing them a magic trick after dinner. Remember, this is a pro-Disney board and most posters are blinded by pixie dust.

There are servers on RCCL and CCL that do the exact same things as DCL servers. The good servers will all do that. There are great servers, ok servers and lousy servers on all major cruise lines. The same goes with bartenders, pool servers etc. DCL is no different. The worst waiter I've ever had on a cruise ship was on a DCL ship.

There really is no such thing as free soda. RCCL and CCL offer a soda card per person for the duration of your cruise if you wish to purchase it. DCL builds it into the cost of the cruise. And if you order a soda at a bar or lounge, DCL will charge you for it. There are self service soda stations on the pool deck and at pool deck buffet restaurants. Soda is also available in the dining room at no additional charge.

Magic and Wonder both have a reputation for cabins larger than the industry average. I won't dispute that. However, the same can not be said for Dream and Fantasy. The average cabins on the Dream-class ships have plenty of room, but are no larger than comparable rooms on RCCL's Voyager and Freedom class ships.

DCL really dropped the ball on the Dream-class ships pools. They are tiny and inadequate for the passenger load on sea days. DCL dedicates too much pool space to the 6 & under crowd. The Mickey pool is useless to a family with kids that would rather swim than bathe in a pool of toddler urine. RCCL's Voyager class has far better pools and the Freedom class is a cut above that. RCCL offers the Flowrider surf simulators on Freedom & Oasis-class ships. While the Flowrider is really cool, it's not in the same league as the Aquaduck. The 'duck wins hands down. My kids are too old for Nemo's Reef on DCL's Dream-class, but RCCL's Freedom & Oasis-class ships offer the H2O Zone.

RCCL's Adventure Ocean is very good, however the Oceaneer's Club and Oceaneer's Lab both are better equipped and appear more polished. DCL also carved out a space for tweens away from the younger kids. A nice touch there. I don't have teenagers, so I really can't comment on those areas.

Disney offers Mickey and the gang. It's fun to see the Disney characters around the ship and at Castaway Cay. RCCL added Shrek and the Dreamworks characters to their ships. To me that seems forced, cheesy and unnecessary.

Disney's private island blows CCL's and both of RCCL's private islands/beaches out of the water. It's not even close, so I won't bother with a comparison. Disney wins by the slaughter rule here.

RCCL and CCL have onboard casinos. DCL does not.

RCCL and CCL do more "adult" activities on the pool deck (belly flop contests, best legs etc). DCL's pool deck activities target the kids with some adult interaction. Disney's "adult" entertainment is more family friendly and less adult. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for a comedian spewing a non-stop stream of four letter words and pole dancers in the bars, but I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with my kids in the room at a DCL "adult" show. I can't say that about other cruise lines.

The food can range from blech to OMG... I'm just talking buffets and dining rooms. It depends on the day and how late the guy who cooked your food was up the night before (or how hungover he might be) on how your food will taste. The extra fee restaurants (Palo & Remy on DCL, Chops etc on RCCL) I would expect to be better and usually are.

The main showroom shows are not my thing. My DW likes some, my kids like some. I could care less. DCL's are obviously Disney-centric where RCCL's are "Broadway style revues". Again, not my thing, so I'm not gonna pick one over the other. Disney also puts more stock into onboard movies. Their movie theater is much larger and more accessable and will run recent (and even still in theaters) Disney movies. My friend just saw The Avengers on the Dream.

DCL has a sports court and mini-golf course on their ships. RCCL has that and more. RCCL has rock walls, zip lines (Oasis-class) and ice skating (Voyager-class and newer). RCCL, CCL and DCL all have spas and gyms. There is a place to jog etc. All 3 cruise lines offer an adults only pool area on most of their ships. CCL used to use the highest deck on the ship for topless sunbathing, but they stopped doing that several years ago.

I cruised CCL many years ago, back when the Carnival Destiny was the biggest ship in the world. It was cheesy and fun. There were a few more drunks than RCCL seemed to have, but I've heard from several of my friends that Carnivals new ships (while still somewhat cheesy) are much nicer than they used to be. Am I ready to give them another chance? Mmmm, doubtful, but they do seem to be moving away from the drunken partyboat reputation they garnered those many moons ago.

At the end of the day, your cruise vacation is what you make of it. If you want to gamble and bingo isn't gonna cut it for you, then sail RCCL. If seeing Mickey means everything, then sail DCL. Either way, you really can't go wrong and you'll have a tremendous time. Enjoy!

Bravo! Thanks for taking the time to methodically type this out!!!

 

[CherylA]

I keep running the numbers on Disney Fantasy 7 night sailings vs RCI Allure or Oasis. I have found a few things I will have to pay more for on RCI than I do on Disney, some of them are.

I believe there is a childcare charge in the kids clubs on RCI after 10pm, both my kids are usually in clubs until atleast 11 each night,

no alcohol can be brought onboard and drinks seem about 25% more expensive on RCI than on Disney.

Disney has food in their dining rooms that I enjoy eating each night and the rotational dining rooms (although hubby and I usually pay for a brunch and dinner at Palo), I am not hearing great things about the RCI Oasis and Allure main dining room food but I am hearing the specialty dining rooms are great so I figure we will do maybe 4 specialty restaurant dinners at $20-$30 approx pp extra, we will also want to do Johnny Rockets at lunch a couple times so $5/pp each time for that.

Theres also some extra snacks that cost at places and a Starbucks on RCI but I spend on coffees at the cove anyway and having some extra snacks available for a fee that Disney just doesn't have at all doesn't bother me.

There is the soda cards that I would need to buy for everyone or buy sodas by the piece, we don't drink that much soda anyway.

Hubby and I aren't much for gambling but we do like to sit at the slots for a little while so I can assume we'll be making a $100 or so donation at the casino.

I really try to compare apples to apples on my square footage which is hard, I want the same comfort level so while an oceanview 9B or so on Disney is fine with over 200 sq feet, there isn't much on RCI like that, they have some family oceanview or inside staterooms that give that kind of space but they mostly seem to be sold out or the price is inflated. I end up comparing an oceanview 9B on Disney (which is what we usually get) to 2 inside connecting staterooms on RCI or a single balcony cabin on RCI.

I'm coming up about $800 cheaper on RCI BEFORE I add in all the extras, when I add it in the prices are really close to the same. I will certainly be trying another line other than Disney very soon, not because it would be cheaper but because it would be something different!

 

[tweis]

Room service is also free on Carnival. Don't worry about the "rumors" of Carnival, just make it a seven day trip, not a 4 day.....although I actually LIKE staying up late drinking and hanging out in the piano bar/casino/club when it's just DH and me...not sure why that's always referred to as a bad thing. Vacation ya'll! Loosen up!

Why is it always people who have NEVER cruised with Carnival who say it's a rowdy party boat? Drives me nuts! I would never give my opinion about a cruise line if I've never been on one.

I am planning on trying the RCI Oasis or Allure AND the NCL Epic or Breakaway. CAN. NOT. WAIT. I'll be booking those after I sail on the next 3 I already have booked....Especially looking forward to my Carnival Magic cruise next month!

That is great to know! We were actually considering a 4 night western Caribbean without the kids, should we not do this?

 

[kcashner]

I do have a few more questions (thanks in advance)
- So dining is included, is that a meal allotment similar to Disney Dining Plan or is it eat whatever whenever? I know the high end places aren't included like Remy's, etc
- Assuming the Caribbean or Bahama cruise, what are the MUST do Shore Excursions? Not looking to break the bank so I would like to shoot for 1-2 very memorable excursions. Probably something in the $40-60/person range.
- I understand you can setup bus rides to and from the airport for a fee but have been told that renting a rental car one way is a better option as long as you are ok taking taxi or walking from the rental car drop off to the ship's terminal. Thoughts or experience?

Dining is all you want whenever you want except Palo and Remy. Beyond that, when and where you eat is up to you--sit down service 3 meals per day with snacks between if you wish.

You can have a great cruise and never do an excursion.

There are no car rental places within walking distance of Port Canaveral. However, every car rental company at Cape Canaveral or Cocoa Beach offers a free shuttle from the cruise terminal to their location. I've used Budget, Avis, and Thrifty. I find them all to be about the same (some good days, some not so good), and base it on price. Budget is the closest of the three and usually operates 2 shuttles on cruise days. However, you sometimes hit both the DCL and Carnival terminals in one run.

OK, my DD is an adult now...and while we have had a great run with Disney, we are booked elsewhere for our next cruise. Cost is part of the reason, the fact that DCL has seen fit to reduce the perks that come with being platinum is another--not the monetary value of the perks, but the attitude we saw from some CMs as if platinum doesn't matter any more. Yes, I'll have to buy my DD a soda card (or whatever the system is), but at the same time I'm not subsidizing a huge youth activities program that I wont be using. True, I won't be eating in a different restaurant each night and I'll have a lot more "upcharge" choices, but from all that I've heard and read the main restaurant and buffet are both excellent choices. No, no princesses or furries, but I'm not paying for them either. And, depending on how many upcharges we find "necessary," I'll still save something around 1/3-1/2 of the DCL cost for the same ports. It has become "we love Disney, but...." as opposed to "we only cruise DCL." My base fare (before soda cards and whatever) is a little less than 1/2 of DCL's cost.

 

[woody73]

. . . OK, my DD is an adult now...and while we have had a great run with Disney, we are booked elsewhere for our next cruise.

. . . True, I won't be eating in a different restaurant each night and I'll have a lot more "upcharge" choices, but from all that I've heard and read the main restaurant and buffet are both excellent choices.

. . . And, depending on how many upcharges we find "necessary," I'll still save something around 1/3-1/2 of the DCL cost for the same ports.

That's been our experience. I don't feel compelled to try something just because it's on the ship -- whether it's a specialty restaurant, wine tasting, casino, or bingo. It's just nice having options.

We've cruised on several cruise lines. Our last cruise was 11-nights (non-DCL). Although there were several upcharge restaurants available, we were pleased with the offerings in the main dining room and buffet, and did not feel the need to go to a specialty restaurant the entire time. But it was nice having options.

Woody

 

[Rogillio]

Our last cruise was on HAL to Canada. We missed DCL's casual dinning and since all we packed was jeans and Polos, we had to eat at the buffet 2 of the 7 nights since we did not bring slacks....and dress shoes....and dress shirt....and tie....and jacket.....and dresses....and hose...etc.

 

[KYDIZFAN]

One reason for the higher prices. 30% of most cruise lines profits come from alcohol sales. At least 50% of Disney cruisers are under the legal drinking age

 

[NancyIL]

Our last cruise was on HAL to Canada. We missed DCL's casual dinning and since all we packed was jeans and Polos, we had to eat at the buffet 2 of the 7 nights since we did not bring slacks....and dress shoes....and dress shirt....and tie....and jacket.....and dresses....and hose...etc.

You CHOSE to bring only jeans and polos! I was on a 14-night HAL cruise to Alaska last summer. I chose not to bring a dress, but brought 1 pair of nice black pants and several nice tops. That's what I wear to dinner on most ships - incuding HAL and including formal nights on HAL! However, we also ate in the buffet a number of times, and I enjoyed the food and the shorter dinner time.

 

[NancyIL]

One reason for the higher prices. 30% of most cruise lines profits come from alcohol sales. At least 50% of Disney cruisers are under the legal drinking age

DCL could limit the amount of alcohol brought onboard, but their one attempt was met with an outcry from angry DCL cruisers.

 

[nunzia]

What line is HAL?

 

[NancyIL]

What line is HAL?

Holland America Line: www.hollandamerica.com