Dream vs. Dream

[woody73]

My point is that the Disney retro design and colors are unique.

Really? See link.

Woody

 

[3smithboys]

Carnival Breeze also has some very nice 12-night Mediterranean itineraries next year. http://www.carnival.com/bookingengine/sailingsearch/search2?shipCode=BR

Do you have any idea where the Breeze is going summer 2013? Has that info been released yet?

 

[NancyIL]

Do you have any idea where the Breeze is going summer 2013? Has that info been released yet?

No. Most cruise lines won't release their summer 2013 itineraries until next spring - especially if they go to Europe.

 

[3smithboys]

No. Most cruise lines won't release their summer 2013 itineraries until next spring - especially if they go to Europe.

Ok, thanks....

 

[mainegal]

Camparing ships....

I look at the water slides / tubes / drainpipes on other ships and they look so pretty much the same as the DCL Aquaduck.
I have not seen any of these in person.
What makes the Aquaduck so special, other than that it goes over the side of the ship?

 

[NancyIL]

Camparing ships....

I look at the water slides / tubes / drainpipes on other ships and they look so pretty much the same as the DCL Aquaduck.
I have not seen any of these in person.
What makes the Aquaduck so special, other than that it goes over the side of the ship?

It costs twice as much to cruise with the AquaDuck (sometimes)!

 

[mainegal]

It costs twice as much to cruise with the AquaDuck (sometimes)!

Okay, good answer!

Still... the Duck looks a lot like the water slide tubes on other ships.

 

[DVC California]

Okay, good answer!

Still... the Duck looks a lot like the water slide tubes on other ships.

The AquaDuck is more of a water "rollercoaster"; similiar to Crushin Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon. There are sections of the ride where you are propelled uphill and sections with lights. It is actually a very cool ride at night as the whole slide is lit up.

 

[mainegal]

It costs twice as much to cruise with the AquaDuck (sometimes)!

The AquaDuck is more of a water "rollercoaster"; similiar to Crushin Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon. There are sections of the ride where you are propelled uphill and sections with lights. It is actually a very cool ride at night as the whole slide is lit up.

Sounds cool.
I have never been to any water park, so I don't really know how to compare. My experience with water slides is limited to the ones at hotels. Some have been very simple, my favorite was the clown at Boardwalk.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

We just returned from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Dream. We are a family of 3 (11 year old son). We had an amazing week - we have cruised on several different lines including Disney and they all offer a different experience (and it has never been bad for us). Why did we choose the Carnival Dream instead of the Disney Dream:

1) our 11 year old son loves the water works slides - drainpipe, racing slides, and the huge tunnel slide (fun for adults too)

2) our son loves Camp Carnival (yes as much as Disney kids club)

3) the 7-day itinerary to ports we have not visited before (Belize, Roatan, Cozumel, Costa Maya)

4) the cost - our family of 3 had a Spa Balcony Cabin for the week at a cost of $3300. our cabin included free access to the spa rooms (heated loungers, saunas, and an awesome whirlpool jacuzzi tub). No way we could have worked that deal on Disney,

5) casino - yes, my husband and I loved playing the penny slots in the evenings

6) comedy club - we don't really do the cruise shows, but we love that Carnival brings on different comedians during the week (family and adult shows)

I love everything Disney, but in order to travel more often we have to explore other options too. We had a great week on Carnival Dream and will look forward to sailing on one of the new Disney ships in the future.

Thank you for bringing back what this thread is supposed to be about...not a thread dissing rcl, dcl or ccl...

Now, I am interested in what you thought of the ports of call, we are thinking of doing this itinerary next April, could you care to share, or if not pm me? I would appreciate it!

 

[3smithboys]

Thank you for bringing back what this thread is supposed to be about...not a thread dissing rcl, dcl or ccl...

Now, I am interested in what you thought of the ports of call, we are thinking of doing this itinerary next April, could you care to share, or if not pm me? I would appreciate it!

I am also interested in what you thought of the ports! We are taking this cruise too next August- as an extended family cruise.

 

[DREAM WAVES]

We did Disney Dream this year & Carnival Dream last year. I'm a little biased because I love Disney & just the atmosphere & characters & Disney movies playing makes any trip better for me. Both ships are beautiful however on the Carnival the servers always seemed like they were drowning in work. Also my son went to the kids club (he was 12) on the Carnival & there was definetly a lack of planned activites & well that left kids running around & getting in trouble. On Disney my son (now 13) was in the kids club doing activities non stop... so much he was missed in many pictures! Both ships we went on had only been operating a few months but to me Disney is the best!

 

[unionville]

Ports of Call on Western Caribbean on Carnival Dream:

We chose the itinerary for the ports. We have visited St. Thomas and St. Marteen several times. We took the Disney Magic to the Western in 2005 but our Cozumel stop was exchanged for Costa Maya due to hurricane damage. We really wanted to visit Cozumel and had heard great things about the changes to Costa Maya.

Cozumel: We booked Nachi Cocum independently and loved it! Our favorite day of the cruise. Very peaceful and free flowing drinks made it a plus! Nachi Cocum limits the number of guests to 100 but I would say there was maybe 40 there that day. We were the only ship in port so all the visitors were Carnival passengers. Easy to get to by cab and we felt safe. Our son had fun trying out his Spanish.

Roatan: We were so excited about exploring Roatan. Carnival usually docks in Mahogany Bay but due to high winds we ended up in Coxen Bay. Once again we were the only ship in port. This worked out better for us because we got to actually see the island on our way to our excursion. We booked ClipNZip independently and had an awesome time!! The company picked us up at the port and took very good care of us. We had a really fun experience!

Belize: You have to tender to this port - it had to be around a 20 to 30 minute tender ride based on how far away the land looked. There was another Carnival boat anchored near us. Since we had 4 port days, we decided to make this our "at sea day" to enjoy the pools and slide. It worked perfect because you really felt like you were at sea. We heard lots of people talk about the great fun they had cave tubing. Maybe next trip we will visit Belize.

Costa Maya: We were excited about seeing the changes from our last visit. This port has a pool complex built right when you get off the ship but we were interested in visiting the village. We had reservations with Steve from the Tropicante for a day relaxing on the beach. We docked around 7 a.m. When we walked onto our balcony I remarked how "angry" the sea looked. Within a few minutes, the captain announced that for safety reasons we would have to leave the dock. We were very disappointed but decided to make the best of the situation and had another fun day at sea!

 

[unionville]

We did Disney Dream this year & Carnival Dream last year. I'm a little biased because I love Disney & just the atmosphere & characters & Disney movies playing makes any trip better for me. Both ships are beautiful however on the Carnival the servers always seemed like they were drowning in work. Also my son went to the kids club (he was 12) on the Carnival & there was definetly a lack of planned activites & well that left kids running around & getting in trouble. On Disney my son (now 13) was in the kids club doing activities non stop... so much he was missed in many pictures! Both ships we went on had only been operating a few months but to me Disney is the best!

Very interesting since my 11 year old has already voiced his concerns about the lack of activities on Carnival for the 12 year old groups. My son was in the 9 to 11 year old group and had lots of structure but even he picked up on the difference in the next age level. Good to know that Disney keeps the structure at that age level.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Ports of Call on Western Caribbean on Carnival Dream:

We chose the itinerary for the ports. We have visited St. Thomas and St. Marteen several times. We took the Disney Magic to the Western in 2005 but our Cozumel stop was exchanged for Costa Maya due to hurricane damage. We really wanted to visit Cozumel and had heard great things about the changes to Costa Maya.

Cozumel: We booked Nachi Cocum independently and loved it! Our favorite day of the cruise. Very peaceful and free flowing drinks made it a plus! Nachi Cocum limits the number of guests to 100 but I would say there was maybe 40 there that day. We were the only ship in port so all the visitors were Carnival passengers. Easy to get to by cab and we felt safe. Our son had fun trying out his Spanish.

Roatan: We were so excited about exploring Roatan. Carnival usually docks in Mahogany Bay but due to high winds we ended up in Coxen Bay. Once again we were the only ship in port. This worked out better for us because we got to actually see the island on our way to our excursion. We booked ClipNZip independently and had an awesome time!! The company picked us up at the port and took very good care of us. We had a really fun experience!

Belize: You have to tender to this port - it had to be around a 20 to 30 minute tender ride based on how far away the land looked. There was another Carnival boat anchored near us. Since we had 4 port days, we decided to make this our "at sea day" to enjoy the pools and slide. It worked perfect because you really felt like you were at sea. We heard lots of people talk about the great fun they had cave tubing. Maybe next trip we will visit Belize.

Costa Maya: We were excited about seeing the changes from our last visit. This port has a pool complex built right when you get off the ship but we were interested in visiting the village. We had reservations with Steve from the Tropicante for a day relaxing on the beach. We docked around 7 a.m. When we walked onto our balcony I remarked how "angry" the sea looked. Within a few minutes, the captain announced that for safety reasons we would have to leave the dock. We were very disappointed but decided to make the best of the situation and had another fun day at sea!

Thank you for posting! I am thinking we are leaning in this direction because of the ports and also that we can get a balcony room inexpensively.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We just returned from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Dream. We are a family of 3 (11 year old son). We had an amazing week - we have cruised on several different lines including Disney and they all offer a different experience (and it has never been bad for us). Why did we choose the Carnival Dream instead of the Disney Dream:

1) our 11 year old son loves the water works slides - drainpipe, racing slides, and the huge tunnel slide (fun for adults too)

2) our son loves Camp Carnival (yes as much as Disney kids club)

3) the 7-day itinerary to ports we have not visited before (Belize, Roatan, Cozumel, Costa Maya)

4) the cost - our family of 3 had a Spa Balcony Cabin for the week at a cost of $3300. our cabin included free access to the spa rooms (heated loungers, saunas, and an awesome whirlpool jacuzzi tub). No way we could have worked that deal on Disney,

5) casino - yes, my husband and I loved playing the penny slots in the evenings

6) comedy club - we don't really do the cruise shows, but we love that Carnival brings on different comedians during the week (family and adult shows)

I love everything Disney, but in order to travel more often we have to explore other options too. We had a great week on Carnival Dream and will look forward to sailing on one of the new Disney ships in the future.

I agree that's a great deal on cost, but you could have sailed 7-nights on Disney in summer 2012 for about that in a Cat 8. Granted, it's not a balcony but it has more room than a standard stateroom with a large windowseat. Also, we booked a Disney Fantasy 7-night cruise for 6/2/2012 and it is actually the exact same cost as the Carnival Dream 7-night cruise leaving the next day for nearly identical ports. We compared apples to apples (one outside verendah room across the hall from an inside room). Actually, the inside room was quite far from the verandah on Carnival so we would of have to of upgraded to be closer together and spent more. We found that after researching our 2012 cruise on Disney, that we are paying the same or saving quite a bit over both RCCL and Carnival. Granted, those deals are gone, but your statement was "No way we could have worked that deal on Disney". I just wanted to point out that some have worked out deals on Disney in comparable rooms on comparable cruises for the same price as the Carnival Dream. If Carnival drops their prices or runs specials to fill up their ships in 2012 (not a problem for Disney!), then we will have paid more. However, at this time, I have yet to find a better deal on any other cruise line than what we got on Disney.

Ok. WE were at one time self proclaimed Disney nuts. Only WDW and DCL for us. We have cruised DCl 3 times, no that many compared to a lot of you. WE are not huge cruise fans but we do enjoy some aspects of it.

Now, DH decided over time, and after witnessing some things that Disney did business wise, that he really didn't care for them and in no way would DCL ever get any more of his money, especially when we got 2 cabins with balconies for 7 days, cheaper than 1 balcony cabin and one inside cabin for 4 days on DCL.

SO off we go on the Carnival Liberty. Just returned on Saturday. Now to answer about service: CCL service was fine, room steward was fantastic, the rest was good, but not DCL good. OUr cruise did include their private island, and except for the food, it was indeed prettier than Castaway Cay, oh yeah and also you do have to tender in, so that was not as nice.

Food, way better than DCL with the exception of Harry's. It was terrible and I wouldn't even begin to compare it to Palo. On DCL I also love the free soda and I do love the drinks being on deck by the pools and also not having to go inside to get food. I did and do love that anytime dining, we never had to wait, and I hate, with a passion, being seated with people I don't know. On carnival, was too much smoking, drinking and general nastiness. Don't get me wrong, I love a good drink, but this was all some people did. Just a totally different atmosphere.

My kids are DS14, DD12, and DS10. They never did like the clubs on DCL and didn't even try on CCL, this isn't their thing.

Here comes that part where I have to eat some crow. I said that people here were DCL snobs, and there was no way to justify paying that much more for a cruise and as I said earlier DH said basically when hell froze over he would be back on DCL, We ladies and gentlemen, hell has frozen and they are getting ice water. DH said that next cruise, if we ever do one, will be DCL. CCL, just didn't feel right to us and we really didn't like the atmosphere.

This is my worry too. I don't want to pay too much, but if Disney's new prices stay inflated, we may have to look at other lines beyond 2012. Hopefully, by continuing to book on the first day of booking, we will pay about the same or just a little more than other cruiselines. If that does not continue to hold true, we will have to determine our price pain point where we will jump ship.

I don't stay "off-site" either. I prefer to stay at the Swan, on Disney property, but not Disney owned.

We stayed at the Swan once and I didn't consider it "on-site". Yes, I know it's on-property just like the DTD Disney hotels are on-property, but overall, we didn't care for the Swan even though it was a nice hotel. That was the problem - it was just a nice hotel and it wasn't Disney. We felt more like we were staying off-site and it just didn't feel like our trip was the same staying at the Swan, than all of our other stays at Disney-owned resorts.

 

[NancyIL]

We stayed at the Swan once and I didn't consider it "on-site". Yes, I know it's on-property just like the DTD Disney hotels are on-property, but overall, we didn't care for the Swan even though it was a nice hotel. That was the problem - it was just a nice hotel and it wasn't Disney. We felt more like we were staying off-site and it just didn't feel like our trip was the same staying at the Swan, than all of our other stays at Disney-owned resorts.

To each their own. I preferred staying at the Swan to AKL and WL.

 

[kaseyC]

Thank you for bringing back what this thread is supposed to be about...not a thread dissing rcl, dcl or ccl...

Now, I am interested in what you thought of the ports of call, we are thinking of doing this itinerary next April, could you care to share, or if not pm me? I would appreciate it!

I agree.

I just booked the same itinerary on the Carnival Dream the week of labor day this September for me an my youngest two DDs. The Exotic Western itinerary really appealed to me. I would also love to know unionville's thoughts on the port of calls.

About the DCL vs all others, I have cruised most of the mainstream cruise lines and I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a bad cruise. I just love to cruise. As our kids get older itinerary is playing a bigger role in our cruise choices. Disney offers some unique experiences but so do other cruise lines.

 

[rdevine10]

This has been very interesting discussion. We are planning on booking the Carnival Dream next year as well. Mostly due to cost and to be honest, my kids saw the waterworks area on carnival and are begging for Carnival, and not Disney!

That being said, we are planning on a 2013 cruise with Disney again (land and sea vacation), which I plan on booking as soon as the 2013 dates open up (I have a dummy cruise booked currently). Disney will be much closer in cost then

 

[tamis]

We did Disney Dream this year & Carnival Dream last year. I'm a little biased because I love Disney & just the atmosphere & characters & Disney movies playing makes any trip better for me. Both ships are beautiful however on the Carnival the servers always seemed like they were drowning in work. Also my son went to the kids club (he was 12) on the Carnival & there was definetly a lack of planned activites & well that left kids running around & getting in trouble. On Disney my son (now 13) was in the kids club doing activities non stop... so much he was missed in many pictures! Both ships we went on had only been operating a few months but to me Disney is the best!

I would have to agree that I wasn't all that impressed with the activities for teenagers. My oldest son (12 at the time) and my niece really didn't enjoy it & typically avoided going, but my younger kids (8 and 5) had a great time at Camp Carnival. The only downside was they occasionally closed for a couple hours for exclusive parties where you paid for your kids to do a special activity like stuffing a bear or going to a late night pajama party. I'm cheap and never paid for them to attend those activities, but we still found plenty to do with them during those times. As a plus though, the pre-teens in my family had a blast going to waterworks, swimming, checking out the arcade, and exploring the ship, and there were plenty of activites to entertain the younger kids. They made necklaces, painted pictures, colored t-shirts, had little parties, etc. etc. They came home with a sack full of goodies and treasures they made for free during the week.

Also, we had awesome servers on the Carnival Dream, but it's true they are busy! Our head waiter was outstanding and made the trip very memorable for all of us. My littlest even asked if he could go home with him to Bali!! We learned that most cruise ship employees are at sea for 8 solid months with no vacation time to see their families & few ways of contacting them while they're at sea. I gained a whole new level of respect for all cruise employees during that trip. It seems like a tough life for many of them.