Disney vs Freedom of the Seas

[Steamboat Bill]

I have been on both the Disney Magic and Wonder and just went on Royal Carribean Freedom of the Seas last week.

To answer your comparison questions:

Disney has great crusies that are timeless and has nothing to worry about. FOS is the biggest ship in the world, and has all the cool new stuff but is not necessarily better.

Disney likes:
We liked the kids club at disney way better (7yo son and 10 yo daughter), we liked the rotating restaurants for dinner better, we liked the room size better, we liked the chicken fingers better, we liked the pool slide (FOS has no slide), we liked the beeper system better, Palo was better than Chops, we liked the Disney characters, better bathroom in the cabins, better night shows, better Interent connection, free Coke stations.

Freedom of the Seas likes:
Flowrider is the best activity on any boat, H2O zone is awesome, better pools, ice skating rink, casino (beware of smoke), awesome promenade, incredibly large boat, better arcade, better for older teens and college crowd, better drinks, this is a floating city and we did not feel the boat rock as much as the Disney boats did, better LCD tvs in the rooms.

There are more comparissons, but this is a brief overview.

 

[VAgal76]

Thanks for giving us some feedback on this. We were looking at booking to FOS, but I think we'll wait until DS is a little bit older. I might miss the magic on the Magic but I think I can have fun on just about any ship. I hear on the free coke thing. It's a pain to have to pay for a coke card. C'mon - it's sugary syrup and carbonated water and CHEAP. Just throw it into the price of the cruise for pete's sake.

Can't wait to hear more about your experience on FOS. How was the service? Was it comparable to DCL?

 

[HookedonMagic]

Thanks, Steamboat Bill! I always like reading DISers comparisons with other cruiselines. There really are plusses/minuses with every brand of cruise vacation and it is always best to go into it with a little research and preparation.

As someone who's sailed both RCCL (Mariner) and DCL, and as a parent of a teen (DD17), may I add that RCCL is not necessarily "better for older teens." My DD prefers DCL...she likes the movies, the laid back atmosphere, the shows, etc and she has no interest in even trying FOS. I'm glad...I especially don't like the lower drinking age on RCCL...there were LOTS of drunk teens on our spring break '05 sailing.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I will be happy to answer most any questions regarding the two trips....

Disney used to charge for Cokes in 1998 and then went to an unlimited plan when I went last year.

FOS charges $1.50 per soda and $45 for a week Coke card. I thought this was a rip considering we paid about $3500 per room x 2 rooms.

We were able to fit all four of us in one Disney cabin (me, wife, daughter 10yo, son 7 yo) and it was fine. We were on deck 5 with ab obstructed porthole view (best bargain). The bathrooms were great as they had separate shower/toilet and 2 sinks. The kids beds were pull down from the ceiling bunk bed style that magically dissapeared during the day. About $4,000 for one room 1 week cruise.

We had to book two promenade rooms for a total of $7,000 as I was not able to book one room to fit us all (unless we wanted the $20,000 family stateroom). The views was very cool as it was a large window view into the promenad. We felt like we were staying in Downtown Disney, rather than on a boat. The two rooms were larger than one Disney room, but we did pay a premium for that option.

We loved both cruises and would reccomend both. I feel Disney is WAY better for kids under 13yo and FOS is better for the 14-28yo crowd. There were several newlyweds on FOS.

Even though FOS is the largest ship in the world, it seemed LESS crowded than Disney. Neither cruise was that bad, but FOS was extremely large and easy to have families get lost. Many people had those walkie talkies on FOS, but these are not necessary for Disney as it is much smaller.

Disney gives more options for ports than FOS, as FOS has a fixed port of call.

Castaway Cay vs Labadee is a hard comparison as both of them were our favorite ports of call. I liked Hati because of the mountains and larger area for beach chairs, but I liked Castaway Cay for the roped off swimming bay area. I wish we could visit both ports on one crusie and avoid Jamaica.

If you like Disneyanna (especially if you visit DIS regularly) you MUST try the Disney cruise once in your life. It is much more intimate than any of the parks and the entire theme of the boats is Disney. I cannot underestimate how much fun this was.

If you are sick of Mickey Mouse, have been on the Disney crusie several times, or have older teens, then FOS is for you. The ship is very impressive and has more variety than Disney.

 

[CNB1124]

Bill,
Are you saying that the FOS does not have cabins that accomodate a family of 4?

 

[Steamboat Bill]

FOS has cabins that can accomidate 12 people. I snuck into the Persidential suite and the Royal Suite when we docked in Miami. They were very nice, but extremely pricy (I believe over $40,000). I also snuck into Roy Disney suite on Magic and it was also extremely nice (probable more than $25,000) but I am not 100% on those prices.

What I meant to say, is that Disney has larger cabins as "standard category rooms (category 5-10 range)" that can accomidate 4 people. FOS requires a much more expensive suite (about $10,000) to accomidate 4 people. I found that is was better to book two separate adjoining "promenade" rooms for about $6500 total as compared to one Disney room that cost around $4000. Yes, two rooms are larger than one, but the one room on Disney was fine for us.

Another thing to consider (according to my wife) is that the people (guests) on Disney seemed nicer and friendlier than on FOS. On Disney, there are many families and people are cool with kids. On FOS, there was a range of people, singles, college, older adults, and there were multiple times we witnessed some rude guest behavior on the elevator/buffet/shows/bingo/pool area. In addition, there was more exposure to the tatoo/toung/body piercing/g-string crowd on FOS than Disney.

Here is a simple example. We felt comfortable letting our kids (7yo and 10yo) walk around the Disney boat unsupervised, but would not allow this on FOS. It is hard to describe why we felt that way, but Disney seemed more "magical" and "safer" for kids. Disney is a smaller and more managable boat.

We had a blast on both Disney and FOS, but Disney gets my vote as a better ship for families with kids younger than 14yo. As my kids get older, perhaps I will like FOS better.

 

[Ker-Bear]

Thanks for the feedback! I want to take a cruise with just my DBF. He is cruise reluctant. But we are taking my DS on a 4 day Wonder and I hope the cruise bug bites him. I thought FOS would be great for just the 2 of us. I agree with the environment. RCCL (although it has kids programs) the people on the ship are not necessarily "kid friendly". DS is 7 so until he doesn't like Disney cruises, I think that is what I will stick with

 

[barbmouse]

ARe the pools and water areas on FOS freshwater???

When you mention the drinking age on RCCL did I understand correctly:
the drinking age on RCCL is 18 and DCL is 21??

thanks for your answers!!

 

[tezb]

FOS has cabins that can accomidate 12 people. I snuck into the Persidential suite and the Royal Suite when we docked in Miami. They were very nice, but extremely pricy (I believe over $40,000). I also snuck into Roy Disney suite on Magic and it was also extremely nice (probable more than $25,000) but I am not 100% on those prices.

What I meant to say, is that Disney has larger cabins as "standard category rooms (category 5-10 range)" that can accomidate 4 people. FOS requires a much more expensive suite (about $10,000) to accomidate 4 people. I found that is was better to book two separate adjoining "promenade" rooms for about $6500 total as compared to one Disney room that cost around $4000. Yes, two rooms are larger than one, but the one room on Disney was fine for us.

Another thing to consider (according to my wife) is that the people (guests) on Disney seemed nicer and friendlier than on FOS. On Disney, there are many families and people are cool with kids. On FOS, there was a range of people, singles, college, older adults, and there were multiple times we witnessed some rude guest behavior on the elevator/buffet/shows/bingo/pool area. In addition, there was more exposure to the tatoo/toung/body piercing/g-string crowd on FOS than Disney.

Here is a simple example. We felt comfortable letting our kids (7yo and 10yo) walk around the Disney boat unsupervised, but would not allow this on FOS. It is hard to describe why we felt that way, but Disney seemed more "magical" and "safer" for kids. Disney is a smaller and more managable boat.

We had a blast on both Disney and FOS, but Disney gets my vote as a better ship for families with kids younger than 14yo. As my kids get older, perhaps I will like FOS better.

Since FOS can hold 4000 people, I'm sure the chances of running into more rude people are higher. However, we have also witnessed rude, obnoxious people on DCL and once our Cabin Steward was rude and unfriendly to us all week! Just because it's Disney, doesn't mean you are protected and nothing bad will ever happen. I think everyone should just be smart and safe no matter what your surroundings are...don't assume anything.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Thanks Bill for the report!!

We were looking at FOS for next year but it is priced about the same as DCL so if we switch it wont be to save money.

Do the activities have a separate charge, or are they all included? Like ice skating, is there an extra fee, or the wave area, etc.

Thanks again!

 

[tezb]

Thanks Bill for the report!!

We were looking at FOS for next year but it is priced about the same as DCL so if we switch it wont be to save money.

Do the activities have a separate charge, or are they all included? Like ice skating, is there an extra fee, or the wave area, etc.

Thanks again!

The activities like ice skating, rock climbing, golf, flowrider, room service, Sorrentos Pizza, 24 hr promenade cafe are ALL FREE. There is a 3.95 cover charge now for Johnny Rockets, Ben & Jerry's has a fee and drinks are not free either. If you drink water like me, that won't be an issue.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I agree with "Ker-Bear" that the Disney cruise is best for kids and families and FOS is best for adults.

To "Barbmouse" - I am not sure what the drinking age was, but FOS (July 2-9, 2006) seemed to have many rowdy teens and young adults. This was never a problem for us on any of the three Disney cruises we took. The FOS was delayed over an hour leaving Jamaica because a few teens were being arrested for drugs purchases in port and their parents were checking out early. What a bummer . All the pools, adults only, sports, and kids on FOS are fresh water and are awesome…the variety of pools and pool activities on the FOS are definitely better than Disney.

To "tezb" - I was hesitant to post that comment about rude people on the FOS vs none observed at Disney as this is only my limited opinion and may be a fluke. It just seemed that "Disney people" were more friendly than "non-Disney people". Perhaps that is part of the Disney magic experience.

To "liferbabe" - the cost comparison for me was comparing one Disney room to two FOS rooms. This is not really a fair comparison, but it was the way we booked the two trips. My opinion is that a family of four can fit in one standard Disney cabin and would need two standard FOS cabins. If you are comparing one to one or two to two, perhaps the prices will be about the same. There were no extra charges for basic included activities like Flowrider or ice skating, etc. There were a few premium costs for golf simulator, scuba diving in the pool. The post by tezb answered the cost question nicely.

Someone sent me a PM regarding unlimited soda (coke) cards:

Thankfully, there were never any long lines for sodas at the bars on FOS. Perhaps this is because there were so many bars to choose from

Yes, people shared their card, the bartenders never looked at the name, just wanted to see the small Coke sticker on your room key.

Single sodas are $1.50 each, thus you need to order about 30 sodas over the week period = 4-5 sodas per day as the sticker cost about $45. Remember that four days are at ports.

At least Disney does not charge for sodas at dinner or on the pool deck. Just one small advantage over FOS.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

Disney vs FOS (my report card)

Home Port Location: FOS +1
Disney was at Port Canaveral and FOS was at Miami. Most people will get to Disney via Orlando and it is about 1 hour drive to the port and no nice hotels nearby. My vote is Miami.

Cruise check-in: FOS +1
We had no problems with either, but FOS let us onboard at noon (with a 2pm check-in). Disney keeps the ropes closed until posted time.

First impression: Disney +1
Disney starts the magic at the port and continues it immediately onboard with a nice personal name welcome.

Orientation: Tie
They both are good and the mandatory fire drills are still a hassle.

Rooms: Disney +1
The Disney standard rooms are larger than FOS and have 2x bathrooms. I can't underestimate how SMALL the shower and bathrooms are on FOS.

Beds: Tie
Both are very nice, Disney seemed larger, but the sheets on FOS seemed better.

Room Service: Tie
Both are good.

Kids Club: Disney +2
This is not even close. Disney rules this department and deserves bonus points. My kid loved Disney kids club and would not leave. The beeper system is the best. Also, the hours are better. My kids really did not like FOS kids club, they seemed to be a glorified day care, charged extra for after 11pm ($5 per half-hour) and had no beeper system. I also think they were closed for a few hours during the day on some days.

Pools: FOS +2
The pendulum swings to FOS on this one and it is not even close. FOS with the H2O zone, cantilever whirlpools, and size of pools are awesome.

Shows: Disney +1
The shows are Disney are first rate and like a Broadway show. The FOS shows are more adult oriented comedy and music. They have a nice Broadway show, but is for adult themes like 42ns Street, Phantom, Cats, etc.

Shopping: FOS +1
The Royal Promenade on FOS is unbelievable to see on a ship. It looks like you are in a downtown shopping district.

Photos: Tie
Both offer many opportunities to buy photos.

Cruise Director: FOS +1
Ken on FOS is incredible….Disney should really try to hire him.

Meals (dinner): Tie
We liked the rotating dinner locations on Disney better than static tables on FOS, but the food was about the same.

Meals (buffet) +1 FOS
Windjammer and Jade on FOS was the best.

Meals (snack): Tie
I liked the chicken fingers on Disney, but also the cafes on FOS.

Meals (upscale): +1 Disney
Palo is better than Chops.

Arcade: +1 FOS
We did not spend much time at either, but FOS was huge.

Staff: +1 Disney
Both were good, but the Disney staff was incredible.

Drinks (alcohol): +1 FOS
The drinks of the day were fantastic.

Drinks (soda): +1 Disney
Free sodas on Disney vs charge on FOS.

Internet: +1 Disney
Disney has better connection speed and more reliable. In addition, they offered a week plan. FOS just charged 50 cents per minute (ouch).

Waivers: (-)1 FOS
Yes, that is a minus one score. I had to sign waives about 20 waivers during the week on FOS. They were two page waivers with about 10 different places to initial and sign. What a hassle. Sign a daily waiver for flowridder, sign a waiver for rock climbing, sign a waiver for ice skating, sign a waiver for kids club, sign a waiver for scuba, sign a waiver for beach park, sign a waiver for excursions, sign a waiver for drinking wine (just kidding)…you get the message. Lawyers are ruining our lives!!!!

Ports: +1 Disney
There are many different options to choose from Disney and only one plan for FOS.

Character meetings: +1 Disney
Well this is loaded comparison, as FOS does not have characters. However, the ability to meet so many characters on Disney was a great pleasure as compared to the hassle at Disney parks.

Pin trading: +1 Disney
Another loaded comparison as Disney has pin trading and FOS does not.

Teen activities: +1 FOS
There were several teen clubs, dances, events, although I might worry if I left a 14yo daughter there by herself.

Extreme activities: +1 FOS
Flowridder, ice skating, rock climbing….Disney can't compete here.


Current Score:

Disney = 12

Freedom of the Seas = 10

 

[mjantz]

Bill,

How would you rate each ship for multi-generational crusing? Our next cruise (whenever that might be) will probably include a set of grandparents & maybe some adult siblings. We found that Disney seems to be use to this & really made it easy for us to cruise together by linking our reservations, allowing me to put my parents on the list of people who could pick the kids up from the club, etc.

 

[taeja71]

What are the dining times? I'm loving your report. Keep it coming.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

How would you rate each ship for multi-generational crusing?
If the entire family likes Disney...they go for it. Disney is the BEST for kids and families. My mother preferred FOS as it did not have as many kids at FOS and had a casino. There are also more adult activities on FOS than Disney. I personally am glad Disney decided NOT to include a casino...too much smoking in one room...cough

Both ships have early dining 6-8pm (we usually got there at 6:30pm) and late dining at 8:30pm (this is too late for kids). Interesting that the early seating sells out on Disney and the late seating sells out on FOS.

 

[ga9497]

ARe the pools and water areas on FOS freshwater???

When you mention the drinking age on RCCL did I understand correctly:
the drinking age on RCCL is 18 and DCL is 21??

thanks for your answers!!

The pools are all freshwater, when I was on the two night cruise to nowhere over memorial day.

RCCL has a drinking age of 18. They are the only ones that do. All other cruise lines are 21. Even Carnival that gets a bad rap for the "party" crowd has a minimum age of 21 for drinking and they won't even allow anyone that is under 21 to sail alone unless married. Meaning that if you have two 18 year olds wanting to cruise they have to be traveling with someone that is at least 25 years or older in the same room

 

[caseymaureen]

Hello all,
Just thought I would put my two cents in...
My husband and I cruised on the Freedom's second sailing, leaving Miami June 11th for our honeymoon. I have previously sailed on Disney twice, he's sailed Disney once. We had never sailed RCL before. We both agreed that we preferred Disney, even with no kids!
Our first night on the ship our luggage did not show up, and we had a 6 PM dinner time. I asked our room steward if we should go in our very casual travel-wear or wait for the luggage. He said it should be there very soon and that the first not was casual, but maybe not that casual, so we waited. No sign of it, s we decided to just go get some pizza on the promenade. When we got back, still no luggage. Our steward said we should call Guest Relations because much of the rest of the hall had gotten theirs. We called, and to my surprise the guest relations associate was very rude and told me that they had 2000 pieces of luggage to deliver and we should not even call them until after 9pm. I tried to explain that our steward told me to call and that we had missed dinner and he only said, in so many words, that that was our own fault. The luggage ended up getting to the room around 9:30 pm.
The rooms were nice but quite a bit smaller than Disney from what I remember. Chris loved the flowrider, and the lines weren't as bad as expected. Neither of us really smoke or drink, so the many bars and pubs weren't necessarily a pro for us. The smoke actually was a little irritating. We met some very nice people on board, but I didn't feel the same kind of connection we felt on Disney, which may have been due to the sheer number of people. The people we shared our dining with were another honeymooning couple and we got along well. Our wait staff was very nice, the food was good, very similar to Disney.
As for Labadee vs Castaway Cay, I prefer Castaway. They are both beautiful, but my problem with Labadee was #1 the tender, and #2 the local vendors. I am all for the local vendors on the other islands, but on the private island, or I guess the private beach, I expect a little more peace and relaxation. The vendors were almost as aggresive as those in Jamaica, and I found it difficult to enjoy my time constantly being followed and told what I needed to buy. Besides, by the last day of the trip, I was out of money! I like that Castaway is a real private island. If anyone has any questions, just let me know!
We did enjoy the variety and number of pools on board, and I never had trouble finding a chair. They ere a bit crowded on at sea days, but that's to be expected.
My husband agrees that Disney was the better cruise, but he does think I'm biased...

 

[leslieh]

Ive been on three disney cruises before, in sept. I will be taking my first Princess cruise (CB not the crown) the price was great and its for the 50th Birthday! I had FOS booked before hearing of the tender, large ship, islands and since its just two of us, i would wait for more to join us for a big ship. So I will let people know my comparison after the trip. Thanks for the great reviews.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

To: caseymaureen

Sorry to hear about your luggage. We had no problems. You bring up an interesting observation about dinner attire. I overpacked as FOS told us no jeans or t-shirts in the dining room. However, I noticed people in t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops everynight except formal night. We liked Labadee and had no problems with the tender. The locals were aggressive, but not overbearing.



To: leslieh

Happy B-day! Hopefully it is not The Crown Princess. The FOS is a great boat and unless you are disabled, the tenders are no problem.