First cruise other than DCL

[Budzooka]

We’ve been on 6 DCL cruises and loved every one of them but just booked a Virgin Alaskan cruise in June 2026. We sailed on the Wonder to Alaska earlier this year and it was great, but wanted to try something new this time around. Especially since it is just the DW and I this time. It was definitely cheaper than DCL but time will tell if we enjoy as much.

 

[cvjw]

We have done 14 DCL cruises, with another in a few weeks. Lately, we have been looking for a viable option on another cruise line when the fantasy is relegated to shorter cruises next year.

We have looked at Virgin, but it always gets the reputation as a party ship. Hopefully, I am wrong, as it seems to be a nice adult only alternative to DCL. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

[Budzooka]

I’ll let you know in 18 months! We’re not looking for a party ship, as neither of us drink, but I’ll definitely play some craps in the casino and we enjoy edgy humor/entertainment, which is all very different than we get on DCL.

I’ve heard good stuff things about Virgin and more than anything, excited about a different cruise experience. Love DCL but it’s the only line we have ever sailed with.

 

[Beth D]

We’ve done 4 DCL cruises, and loved them all. Last year we did a 10 night partial transit of the Panama Canal on Princess with a large family group.

The rooms were definitely dated (older, smaller ship), but we still had a great time. We had a cabin issue (not their fault, was my mil’s ancient TA that didn’t quite understand the logistics) , but Princess stepped way up to make it right, giving us a second cabin for free!

We found the food was great, they had hands down the best counter service pizza I’ve ever had on the pool deck.

The casino was a change of pace, but I did miss the movie theater! I thought the shows were not as polished as Disney, but we still found plenty to do.

We are next sailing on Royal Caribbean next November out of NY, chosen mainly because we can drive there in 1/2 day from OH, and the price was less than 1/2 of Disney, and for more days.

You just have to go into it with an open mind - you’re still on a cruise! I think it’s all what you make it!

 

[DCLMP]

Enjoy! I think you will have a great time. I always have on my non DCL cruises,

 

[tidefan]

We’ve been on 6 DCL cruises and loved every one of them but just booked a Virgin Alaskan cruise in June 2026. We sailed on the Wonder to Alaska earlier this year and it was great, but wanted to try something new this time around. Especially since it is just the DW and I this time. It was definitely cheaper than DCL but time will tell if we enjoy as much.

We just booked Virgin for June 2026 to Alaska as well! Which sailing are you on?

As an FYI, we have sailed 5 VV cruises, with 3 more on the books for 2025, so that should tell you how we like it. To wit, I am DCL Platinum and DW is DCL Pearl, so we enjoy DCL as well. We love VV. The food alone is so much better than any of the other lines that we've been on. There is no MDR, just 6 restaurants that you will reserve as you go. They would be specialty restaurants on other lines, but they are all included on Virgin. Also, like DCL, sodas are included, so if you are a Diet Coke/Coke Zero addict such as myself, it is a nice thing. One last thing to mention, take advantage of their status match so that you can get things like free specialty coffee each day...

One other thing to mention... the hammock on the balcony is heavenly. I can't imagine how nice that will be in Alaska.

We found the food was great, they had hands down the best counter service pizza I’ve ever had on the pool deck.

We like Princess as well, and yes, the pizza on Princess is amazing (especially on ships with Alfredos/Gigis). You said you were on an older ship, I will say that IMHO, the Royal Class Princess ships have a much better buffet than the Grand (older) class Princess ships.

 

[Budzooka]

We just booked Virgin for June 2026 to Alaska as well! Which sailing are you on?

As an FYI, we have sailed 5 VV cruises, with 3 more on the books for 2025, so that should tell you how we like it. To wit, I am DCL Platinum and DW is DCL Pearl, so we enjoy DCL as well. We love VV. The food alone is so much better than any of the other lines that we've been on. There is no MDR, just 6 restaurants that you will reserve as you go. They would be specialty restaurants on other lines, but they are all included on Virgin. Also, like DCL, sodas are included, so if you are a Diet Coke/Coke Zero addict such as myself, it is a nice thing. One last thing to mention, take advantage of their status match so that you can get things like free specialty coffee each day...

One other thing to mention... the hammock on the balcony is heavenly. I can't imagine how nice that will be in Alaska.

We like Princess as well, and yes, the pizza on Princess is amazing (especially on ships with Alfredos/Gigis). You said you were on an older ship, I will say that IMHO, the Royal Class Princess ships have a much better buffet than the Grand (older) class Princess ships.

Great to hear! We are on the 12 night inside passage in June. We booked the XL Sea Terrace just for the hammock on the balcony.

I’ve already updated the status match from DCL.

Thanks for sharing your positive experiences.

 

[tidefan]

Great to hear! We are on the 12 night inside passage in June. We booked the XL Sea Terrace just for the hammock on the balcony.

I’ve already updated the status match from DCL.

Thanks for sharing your positive experiences.

We will just miss you! We are on the 7-night just prior to that! You will have a great cruise!

 

[MamaMermaid]

I took my mom on the Scarlett Lady as a retirement gift and we loved it! Not as fun to us as Disney but I totally see the appeal. Fun restaurants, no kids, their beach resort in Bimini is great... highly recommend!

 

[Dug720]

I have sailed 3 other lines (well, 4 but fathom no longer exists)...

Holland America - YAWN and SMOKY. They traditionally have one of the most liberal smoking policies - they were the last to ban smoking on their balconies. Boring, entertainment was awful, and service in the MDR was absurd - we had to constantly ask for things that are second nature on other lines I've been on.

Royal Caribbean - I love Radiance Class, but I get that it doesn't have all the bells and whistles. Some of the shows are ok - I always sit on the end towards the back so I can escape if necessary. Didn't have to escape as much on RCCL as I did on HAL. I'm not a fan of their larger classes (sailed Anthem in February and that was enough to show me I don't need to be on their bigger ones).

Celebrity - My second favorite behind Disney. Especially Edge Class - I've sailed the Edge and the Beyond and have the Apex booked for summer 2026. I've also sailed Millennium Class on the Summit. And I have a cruise on the Solstice Class' Silhouette for Feb 2026. Consistently good food. Most of the ship-based entertainment is great - especially on the Edge Class ships. They also offer solo infinite veranda cabins on the Edge Class which helps make it affordable.

 

[pjsmith67]

We have done 14 DCL cruises, with another in a few weeks. Lately, we have been looking for a viable option on another cruise line when the fantasy is relegated to shorter cruises next year.

We have looked at Virgin, but it always gets the reputation as a party ship. Hopefully, I am wrong, as it seems to be a nice adult only alternative to DCL. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

We did a Virgin cruise this summer in the Mediterranean. Definitely more of a party atmosphere but it was not overwhelming. Food was definitely better than Disney. But, Disney has better on board entertainment options. We enjoyed it enough though that we booked another cruise with them in 2026.

On thing that really annoyed me though was that the bathrooms were so hard to find. They were not marked very well and very inconsistent as to where they are placed.

 

[holula]

We just booked Virgin for June 2026 to Alaska as well! Which sailing are you on?

As an FYI, we have sailed 5 VV cruises, with 3 more on the books for 2025, so that should tell you how we like it. To wit, I am DCL Platinum and DW is DCL Pearl, so we enjoy DCL as well. We love VV. The food alone is so much better than any of the other lines that we've been on. There is no MDR, just 6 restaurants that you will reserve as you go. They would be specialty restaurants on other lines, but they are all included on Virgin. Also, like DCL, sodas are included, so if you are a Diet Coke/Coke Zero addict such as myself, it is a nice thing. One last thing to mention, take advantage of their status match so that you can get things like free specialty coffee each day...

One other thing to mention... the hammock on the balcony is heavenly. I can't imagine how nice that will be in Alaska.

Oooh this is good to know about status match being back. I’ve been eyeing up Virgin for a while and ALSO just booked Alaska with them! Booked the final sailing from Seattle to Vancouver, love that it goes to Sitka which was one of my favourite ports in 2023.

For one inside and one verandah it was cheaper than DCL’s pricing for two insides for 2025 for that same week.

 

[allaboutthemouse]

We just got back Wednesday from our fourth VV cruise, so yeah we love it. We are DCL platinum too. I wouldn’t say it’s a “party” atmosphere, Scarlett night is the craziest I have seen and even then you can totally avoid it. We usually just watch from the top deck for awhile ( get there early to grab one of those stools looking down on the pool if you want to watch seated), then we bail lol, but people will be up there for awhile. We left this time about 1130 and went down to On the Rocks bar and listened to an AWESOME guest band for a couple hours, they were great! I love all the live music at the different bars and lounges. There is no drink package, like Disney, so we like that. You can buy a bar tab in advance if you want to get a little bonus added, I think they do that for everyone. Has to be in $300 increments. We are Sea Blazers, so we get an extra $125 for every $300. That is more than enough for us lol. Drinks are reasonably priced I think. Sat next to a couple on Scarlett night who were virgin Virgins and were disappointed that they couldn’t find the “party scene” lol, so if that tells you anything. They were also fans of carnival party vibe and drink packages. I think virgin is just more of people wanting to relax and get away, not exactly party all the time. I would LOVE to go to Alaska on virgin, but we were planning on taking the kids so that is out lol.

Celebrity - My second favorite behind Disney. Especially Edge Class - I've sailed the Edge and the Beyond and have the Apex booked for summer 2026. I've also sailed Millennium Class on the Summit. And I have a cruise on the Solstice Class' Silhouette for Feb 2026. Consistently good food. Most of the ship-based entertainment is great - especially on the Edge Class ships. They also offer solo infinite veranda cabins on the Edge Class which helps make it affordable.

How did you like the Summit? I have my eye on an Alaskan sailing from Seward to Vancouver. We will have the kids (21 down to 11 years), but they are not fans of kids clubs, etc., they like to be with us. Would take them on Disney, but OMG $$$.
It’s either that or an Edge sailing out of Seattle. I like that Summit is smaller. Thoughts?

 

[Dug720]

How did you like the Summit? I have my eye on an Alaskan sailing from Seward to Vancouver. We will have the kids (21 down to 11 years), but they are not fans of kids clubs, etc., they like to be with us. Would take them on Disney, but OMG $$$.
It’s either that or an Edge sailing out of Seattle. I like that Summit is smaller. Thoughts?

I really liked it! I can't comment on the main dining room because I was in Aqua Class so Blu was my assigned dining room, but I loved the ship. I didn't eat in any of the specialty restaurants. I do love the Ocean View Cafe (the buffet) on Celebrity though - and it's also open at night.

But I also love the Edge (I stayed in a solo infinite veranda on Edge) - I love the entertainment on there a smidge more than the Summit, and their main dining rooms are super cool (Tuscan is my favorite with Cyprus a surprise second). If you have select dining you can make reservations in any of them. If you have fixed dining (it's up in the air if Edge class ships have that - sometimes they do, others they don't even if you book it) and are assigned to one, you can always order any of the specials from the other restaurants (like if you're assigned to Normandie you can order from the specials from Tuscan, Cosmopolitan, or Cyprus)...the rest of the menu is the same in all 4 MDRs. Eden is a FABULOUS specialty restaurant.

Honestly you can't go wrong with either. If I were going back to AK I'd likely do the Edge just for the simplicity of round trip flights from the same airport. With the Summit you're flying into Vancouver and out of Anchorage or the other way around. But I don't think you can go wrong with either ship.

 

[DCLMP]

I'm looking at Princess for a 12 night Baltic, northern European in 2026 that includes Finland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Sweden. It's a really a fantastic itinerary with only 1 sea day, old ship with decent reviews. I look at it as a floating hotel. If Disney doesn't offer what I'm looking for I'm not afraid to branch out. I will be shocked if DCL comes out with anything close to this itinerary.