Disney vs all other cruise lines

[njcoach24]

I was on the Wish when it first arrived and that was an amazing experience. Sailing on the Dream next was fun but the overall experience was disappointing especially having been on the Wish. The bonus of Dream was it went to both private Islands and they were amazing back to back.

Went without kids on the Celebrity Silhouette last month which not a newer ship and it was absolutely fantastic. Booked Celebrity Beyond, a new ship, for July with kids. Ship looks amazing and very impressive. It’s not the newest mega carnival but the sailing itinerary is excellent. 10K cheaper than same room type, balcony, and same dates on Treasure which was going to also be mostly at sea.

 

[RiRLPC-OG]

Im willing to pay it because I DO want a Disney experience and I also want the crowd that paid a lot for their cruise. It makes a difference. When you work really hard to pay for a $20,000 cruise you don't have the patience for wasting part of your cruise having conflict with other guests or over intoxicated and I feel like this cost weeds out those behaviorisms. This is only a small piece to why we choose DCL. I feel most comfortable with handing my teens to this company because this brand has everything to lose by messing up with a minor. I feel like they got this.

 

[DCLMP]

Im willing to pay it because I DO want a Disney experience and I also want the crowd that paid a lot for their cruise. It makes a difference. When you work really hard to pay for a $20,000 cruise you don't have the patience for wasting part of your cruise having conflict with other guests or over intoxicated and I feel like this cost weeds out those behaviorisms. This is only a small piece to why we choose DCL. I feel most comfortable with handing my teens to this company because this brand has everything to lose by messing up with a minor. I feel like they got this.

What Disney cruise cost 20k? You sound a bit pretentious.

 

[Mango7100]

I was on the Wish when it first arrived and that was an amazing experience. Sailing on the Dream next was fun but the overall experience was disappointing especially having been on the Wish. The bonus of Dream was it went to both private Islands and they were amazing back to back.

Went without kids on the Celebrity Silhouette last month which not a newer ship and it was absolutely fantastic. Booked Celebrity Beyond, a new ship, for July with kids. Ship looks amazing and very impressive. It’s not the newest mega carnival but the sailing itinerary is excellent. 10K cheaper than same room type, balcony, and same dates on Treasure which was going to also be mostly at sea.

We will also be on the Beyond in July with our daughter. Went on her last year and loved it. A beautiful ship!

 

[Pinkjgray]

As someone who occasionally cruises solo, I prefer Disney Cruise Line because it has a lower adult ratio, particularly in the adult only section, than other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival. I also appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere, as I prefer to avoid a party-centric environment with excessive drinking, which provides a more peaceful and enjoyable experience.

 

[Mango7100]

Im willing to pay it because I DO want a Disney experience and I also want the crowd that paid a lot for their cruise. It makes a difference. When you work really hard to pay for a $20,000 cruise you don't have the patience for wasting part of your cruise having conflict with other guests or over intoxicated and I feel like this cost weeds out those behaviorisms. This is only a small piece to why we choose DCL. I feel most comfortable with handing my teens to this company because this brand has everything to lose by messing up with a minor. I feel like they got this.

Money doesn’t buy class. If anything you get the “I paid a lot of money for this cruise so I better get my way” entitlement issues. And three DCL employees were arrested just last year for child porn possession, so it happens on any line unfortunately.

 

[kiford]

But I see other cruise line ships with what appear to be "fancier" public areas such a 3 story entertainment plazas and theme park like rides.

That doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. I personally consider that to be a negative and will take those ones off my potential list.

 

[Cfabar1]

We love the vibe of DCL, especially on the older ships….

Great for the kids and great for the adults too! Adult venues are relaxing, chill, and very fun. Trivia is enjoyable and age appropriate when doing the kids (and even the adults too).

That said, some of the prices are very steep… We are okay with that, but it does mean we are always going to be looking for the value… (VGT, FL resident rates, off peak season, etc.)

 

[RiRLPC-OG]

What Disney cruise cost 20k? You sound a bit pretentious.

OH?! DO I? Run the numbers on a family of 7 going on the 2026 12 night mediterranean cruise. Then look for flights. Then look for hotels that will connect you to your flights and your ship. Then consider how much I will pay for parking at the airport for 2 weeks. Maybe don't jump at calling people pretentious and consider not everyone is living the life you lead. It's a great lesson in understanding and backing off!

 

[bakerworld]

For years I tried to convince DH to cruise but he thought the ship would be claustrophobic and rusty/dirty, with a lot of over dressed rigid people or frantic imbibers (drink or activities). Then as part of the DVC membership incentive we acquired a cruise. I think he was willing to try a Disney cruise because he trusted Disney to provide a good experience. DCL is very relaxed with nice people - fellow cruisers and crew.

Now, admittedly, we've never cruised on another line and probably will not because DH is not a fan of change when he's found a place he's comfortable. He does constantly ask other cruisers and crews about different lines and every person says Disney does it better. Of course, we're on a DCL at the time. LOL

 

[GhostHost24]

We are doing two weekend cruises back to back this spring - one weekend Disney Wish, the second Utopia of the Seas. I'm excited to compare them both (newer ships, both are 3 night Port Canaveral cruises with stops in Nassau and their respective private islands - about as close a comparison as you can do fairly). We have balcony staterooms booked for both of them as well, to try to give a fair comparison.

We are longtime Royal Caribbean cruisers and have also done Carnival and Norwegian. My last Disney cruise was in 2001. We are Magic Key holders and DVC members, so I'm curious to see the experiences firsthand so closely in time.

I did the Dream last year, and was just on Utopia a month ago, and we're doing the Treasure later this year. After getting off the Utopia I think I preferred DCL more. There were pros and cons for each and some I like that RC does more and vice versa. It's def interesting to see how different they are though.

Having said that the aqua show on Utopia may be one of the best cruise shows i've ever seen.

The one thing RCL blows DCL out of the water though in my opinion is dinner options plus late night food. We never went to the main dining once. We did two specialty dinners (which is still half the price of DCL's) and the buffet the other two nights. Whereas with DCL you're basically forced to do the main dining or the pool deck food.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Tried other Lines and now settled in with MSC. WAY more BANG for our $$$$'s.

I wanted to mention to you since I remember you really liking MSC's ship within a ship have you thought about going for Explora Journeys? It's getting quite the buzz over on the luxury/ultra luxury market.

 

[Greatgrandma]

I have been on 11 Disney cruises and 3 Royal Caribbean and Ive enjoyed all. You get a different vibe on each ship. I just sailed Utopia of the Seas. Thousands of people but I never felt suffocated. Food was great. Crew was great. The shows were amazing. Room was wonderful. It had a more lively(party) feeling than Disney. The Disney ships are more family oriented. They invoke the warm feelings I had as a kid growing up with Disney. I love the characters. The ship, the food, the cabins, and the shows always top notch. I dont mind paying as long as Im satisfied at the end.

 

[katyringo]

Because people keep paying.

Including me.

 

[supercarrie]

I did the Dream last year, and was just on Utopia a month ago, and we're doing the Treasure later this year. After getting off the Utopia I think I preferred DCL more. There were pros and cons for each and some I like that RC does more and vice versa. It's def interesting to see how different they are though.

Having said that the aqua show on Utopia may be one of the best cruise shows i've ever seen.

The one thing RCL blows DCL out of the water though in my opinion is dinner options plus late night food. We never went to the main dining once. We did two specialty dinners (which is still half the price of DCL's) and the buffet the other two nights. Whereas with DCL you're basically forced to do the main dining or the pool deck food.

Yeah, late night dining options will be interesting on DCL. We are used to the Oasis class and our local ship, Navigator of the Seas, all of which have several late night options to choose from. At least for DCL, room service is free (besides a tip) so we may just rely on that for a late night snack.

I'm so excited for the Utopia aqua show - it is the sequel to the one on Oasis, and that was mind blowing. One of the best shows we've ever seen on land or at sea.

I am really looking forward to both - this trip is doubly exciting with two cruises in one!

We already went ahead and booked a summer cruise on Navigator. Although the pricing on Utopia vs the Wish isn't too terribly off, the pricing between a comparable 3 night on the Wish vs an older ship like the Navigator (or even Disney Wonder vs Navigator) is SO different. We are thankful we have the Navigator just twenty mins away from us for short little weekend cruises - my wallet doesn't stretch to do multiple short DCL sailings each year. My hunch is we will love DCL, and end up probably doing one longer DCL sailing every year or couple of years and keeping Royal for our cheaper weekend getaway cruises. Icon/Star of the Seas look pretty amazing though. What a first world problem.

 

[TinkerbellTris]

There’s a lot of cruise lines and options out there. We gave RCCL, NCL, and Carnival a try. Ultimately they were not for us. We liked NCL enough to take a few cruises but they changed a lot of policies and raised prices and fees and the upselling was miserable to us. We went back to DCL because it works best for our expectations, they surpass all other cruise lines we’ve tried in our opinion. We’ve not tried HAL, Princess, MSC, or Virgin voyages. We have no plans to. We took a break on cruising from 2013-2017 and we took our last NCL cruise in 2017 and will never sail them again. We took a long break since 2017-2024 when we went back to DCL and were wowed again. And we were on the Wonder. Never been on any other DCL ship except Magic and Wonder but we look forward to sailing on the newer ships. Disney- for my family, just does it right. From room size and thoughtfulness of the split bathroom, to entertainment, Disney excursions, food, service…they are well above the competition, to us. The ships theming, the attentiveness to passengers, it all is a step above, to us. I’m a huge Disney fan, parks and cruises, my husband does not like the parks at all, but prefers the Disney cruises. Our son who is now an adult it a big Disney park and cruise fan.

 

[RiRLPC-OG]

For years I tried to convince DH to cruise but he thought the ship would be claustrophobic and rusty/dirty, with a lot of over dressed rigid people or frantic imbibers (drink or activities). Then as part of the DVC membership incentive we acquired a cruise. I think he was willing to try a Disney cruise because he trusted Disney to provide a good experience. DCL is very relaxed with nice people - fellow cruisers and crew.

Now, admittedly, we've never cruised on another line and probably will not because DH is not a fan of change when he's found a place he's comfortable. He does constantly ask other cruisers and crews about different lines and every person says Disney does it better. Of course, we're on a DCL at the time. LOL

I agree with your DH. And mine is the same way. We're comfortable. I have seen people comment that the itineraries are stale, however, most of them you can work around. See things on land before or after. Land and Sea is a great trip IMO.

 

[TinkAgainU]

My family continues to go DCL because of the lower key feel (less party, less drunken behavior) but as a family of 5, the cabins are expensive. This last trip the two older kids really did not want to go to the kids club (ages 9 and 11) which rather defeats the parents relaxing theory. I'll also mention the kids checked themselves out, the club did not let us know, the kids got lost on the ship - and the entire time the kid's club was insisting they were there until I said let me SEE them and it was clear they were not in the club. To say it was a stressful start to the trip would be an understatement. So Disney's kid's plan are not 100% error free either.

 

[RiRLPC-OG]

There’s a lot of cruise lines and options out there. We gave RCCL, NCL, and Carnival a try. Ultimately they were not for us. We liked NCL enough to take a few cruises but they changed a lot of policies and raised prices and fees and the upselling was miserable to us. We went back to DCL because it works best for our expectations, they surpass all other cruise lines we’ve tried in our opinion. We’ve not tried HAL, Princess, MSC, or Virgin voyages. We have no plans to. We took a break on cruising from 2013-2017 and we took our last NCL cruise in 2017 and will never sail them again. We took a long break since 2017-2024 when we went back to DCL and were wowed again. And we were on the Wonder. Never been on any other DCL ship except Magic and Wonder but we look forward to sailing on the newer ships. Disney- for my family, just does it right. From room size and thoughtfulness of the split bathroom, to entertainment, Disney excursions, food, service…they are well above the competition, to us. The ships theming, the attentiveness to passengers, it all is a step above, to us. I’m a huge Disney fan, parks and cruises, my husband does not like the parks at all, but prefers the Disney cruises. Our son who is now an adult it a big Disney park and cruise fan.

I agree with the thought to all of this. I have never cruised with anyone but Disney. I am a Gold class passenger right now and therefore have no desire to switch. I have toyed with it many times but the YouTube videos I see and the upscale nightmare always pushes me back to Disney. I do not want to deal with uncharges an entire trip. This is why we don't go to Universal parks. This is also why chapek upset me so dearly changing the Legacy fast pass to a money maker. These things destroy beautiful days. I will stick with DCL and if I can't afford it I'll just skip a year.

 

[dreamer17555]

I agree with the thought to all of this. I have never cruised with anyone but Disney. I am a Gold class passenger right now and therefore have no desire to switch. I have toyed with it many times but the YouTube videos I see and the upscale nightmare always pushes me back to Disney. I do not want to deal with uncharges an entire trip. This is why we don't go to Universal parks. This is also why chapek upset me so dearly changing the Legacy fast pass to a money maker. These things destroy beautiful days. I will stick with DCL and if I can't afford it I'll just skip a year.

I was really worried about the upsell too but after sailing Royal we got one person who asked if we wanted to add on speciality dining one day at the buffet and that was it. I have DCL trying to sell me water packages\coolers more aggressively. We added on the soda package before the cruise for $10 per person.

Now we did get a steal of a deal- $790 for 2 ppl, 4 nights, oceanview balcony guaranteed (similar to DCL's VGT rates), on Allure of the Seas with a stop at Coco Cay. Did not pay for a thing at Coco Cay other than a single adult cocktail and a beach float rental (similar to what I would have done on DCL). My son LOVED the pool with the underwater speakers. The beach was not as nice as Castaway but the shows on Royal were better than DCL- Aqua show, Ice Skating show (how do they do backflips on skates while on a moving ship is mind blowing to me), Comedy shows, and Mamma Mia is as good as any National Tour I have seen of it (and I didn't need to shell out $70+ a person to see it).

I would argue nowadays Universal isn't upselling anymore than WDW is and if you try another cruise line you might also realize they aren't approaching you to buy anything more than DCL is. If you can deal with the water package\cooler pitch DCL does you will be fine with Royal.