First RCCL cruise...after 7 Disney cruises

[gscott8075]

We are Disney addicts - 7 Disney cruises, many trips to WDW, etc, etc. We tried RCCL this week and I have to tell you - I am really torn. We went on a 5 night Western - Jamaica and Grand Cayman on the Enchantment of the Seas.

Side by side by category --

KIDS PROGRAM - Comparable. Only negative for RCCL is they charge $5 per hour after 10. But, that is negligible since Disney costs so much more for the cruise.

ENTERTAINMENT - Comparable

FOOD - Comparable - except soda is not included for dinner on RCCL.

STATEROOMS - Disneys are nicer. Amenities are comparable.

SHIPS - The Magic and Wonder are in tip top shape. EOS is aging a bit - but all are clean.

PRICE - RCCL crushses DCL.

After spending this week with RCCL, I must say that if the pricing was close, I would opt for Disney. RCCL is much less expensive - and has varying itineraries. I think I reluctantly must give them the nod!

 

[noseybuddy]

I had booked a 7 day cruise for this December on the Magic. Kept going back and forth with it whether to go or not. The price was really high. My kids Xmas vacation changed so I had the option of going a week earlier. Went into Disney to see if a week earlier was any cheaper but no it was more money than what I had already booked and a lower Cat. So I started looking into RCL and I was able to book a 7 day cruise on Mariner of the Seas for the week earlier, same type cabin but $3000 cheaper. I would still like to try Disney some day. Thinking I would like to go for my 20th anniversary in 4 years and maybe they will have a new ship by then.

 

[hilltopfamily]

gscott8075

thanks for braving this board and putting your truthful comments down for us.

I have often wondered about this VERY issue and really appreciate this comparison from a person who has been on so many DCL cruises. Your comments come from a "veteran".

We loved our DCL trip last summer, so much that I now plan on a cruise every summer with our kids. However, cost is an issue and I have been looking at RCCL & CCL as options as cruise lines with reportedly wonderful kids programs. Our DCL trip was very close to $1000 per day for our family of 5 to stay in inside category rooms! Wonderful and memorable as it was, I am hoping we can have great experiences at a cost I can more easily afford, maybe even with an ocean view!

P.S. any specifics you can post about kids programs, ages of your kids, what they liked most, etc.? Also, did your kids miss not having the Buena Vista theater to see new movies in?

 

[winnyis]

and I will post my comparisons as well when we return. We have been on the Magic twice and loved it both times (and have another Magic cruise booked for 8/04).

I will agree with Gscott that price is definately cheaper.. $1300 cheaper for Navigator vs. Disney (same category)

I am curious to see what the kids clubs are like... my kids liked disneys but didnt love them..

One thing I already know I will like better about Disney is the fresh water pools and waterslide.

RCI's are salt water and there is no slide on Navigator.

Ginny

 

[DisneyGator01]

I've done several other crusies on other lines, including RCCL--Sov. of the Seas..

I don't have kids, but I have heard good things about the programs.

The one thing I really didn't like about other lines is that the onboard activities for adults are really dependent on the casino, and I don't gamble. Or would rather not gamble. The food is comparable (well with all lines I have been on with the exception of Carnival--yuck!). I just like themed dining.

I rationalize it like this.. why am I willing to pay more?

1)I like the themed dining, and rotation dining
2)I like the family-oriented activities
3)I like larger staterooms
4)I like seeing Disney Characters everywhere, having a character breakfast
5)I like the first run movies on board--would rather do that then go to a casino
6)I like the options for nighttime entertainment for adults on DCL--you can go to a movie, go to the pool or hottub (until 12am!!), go to a club, or just sit and listen to jazz
7)I like the Disney-themed musical productions
8)like the classy, intimate ocean liner feel
9)like the fact it's a family atmosphere--not overly pushy on buying drinks--not drunks jumping in the pools or hottubs or stumbling in and out of the hallways
10)LOVE castaway cay--no other line has anything comparable

and there are many more... so when I facture in all that, I don't feel quite as bad for paying more. Would I ever sail another line if the price is right? I probably would---well never Carnival again. But because of the reasons above, I doubt it would be "as good" a cruise as I would get with DCL, but if it came to a great deal, I might consider it. I enjoyed my other cruise line experiences, they just were't as magical and memorable as a DCL touch--Disney knows how to make magical experiences and give things a personal touch, like knowone else.

Probably the main reason I might venture back to another cruise line is to get a different itenerary. I would like to see Alaska again, or to see South America or Europe. And personally, I think the best way to see the world is on a cruise.

 

[hilltopfamily]

DisneyGator01:

What ship & itinerary did you cruise with on CCL? If you don not mind my asking, what made that experience so bad?

When going to a CCL website, I have found mostly great things to say about them, just like coming to this Dis site you will see mostly great things about DCL.

 

[DisneyGator01]

My Carnival Cruise Story

At the time, I had fun on Carnival.. I was in college, it was a cheap spring break trip... but after sailing other lines and looking back, I have a different opinion.

I was on the Fantasy.. and the ship is just old. very old, and it shows. It's not as classy as DCL. Also, it smelled funny--okay, I'll just say it.. it smelled bad. That I remember very distictly. Sorta of a old, sweage smell. The rooms were like a closet compared to DCL, very very small staterooms. Everything just looked very worn.

Also, just partying anywhere. Which is great when you are 21 and out with your friends on spring break... but when you are lets say, past that stage, want a vacation-especially a family vacation-- my experience on Carnival is that it just isn't family atmosphere. A lot of intoxicated people.. very intoxicated. I like my nice frosty, fruity drink just like the rest of people, but I don't want them pushed on me 24/7. And when I get in the hot tub to relax, I don't want to wonder if the person in there is going to pass out or toss his/her cookies.

Also, the food just wasn't that great. Is DCL food the absolute best at see? No, probably not--but the dining atmosphere is better then anywhere else.. and the quality of food is definitely better then I had on Carnival.

I didn't really think they had great onboard activities. You either gambled, swam with intoxicated people, or faught for a chair on the deck with a teenager/college-ager. Pools closed earlier then I expected.. I say to hord you into the casino or clubs to buy drinks or drop money into slot machines.

Don't get me wrong, CCL is a bargin... it's a bargin cruise, it's fun sure.. I can't say I had an aweful time, wanted my money back.. was beating down the doors at the corporate headquarters. I basically got what I paid for. I would just rather pay more and get more.. and better quality.

Besides, if someone is looking for an inexpensive, better quality cruise, I would say RCCL is the way to go.

 

[dairyou]

I have to agree with Shelly...

We went on CCL without our children years ago. I'm glad we did! There were people drinking everywhere! No activities to speak of except gambling and partying. Now, there is nothing wrong with that if it's what you like to do. Then it's perfect! I cant drink because I'm allergic to alcohol (sp?) , so it wasnt too fun.

We also took our kids to Mexico on RCL. Maybe the east coast cruises are better, but my kids were not impressed with their kids clubs. There were only certain times they were open. When we were together, there were no family activities to do. We were really bored. I have heard many that love RCL. It just must be us

Deb

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

I'm going at this from another angle. I have been on 11 cruises so far, including NCL, RCCL (RCI), CCl, Dolphin, Windjammer, most of them a number of times, and I we are trying Disney for the first time in March '04. (Magic Western). I have thoroughly enjoyed, may even say LOVED every cruise I've been on, though I have to agree that Carnival was my least favorite of all. (It was a new ship, Victory - well new at the time, so it was very nice.) I have been on the Disney boards now for about 3 months and am very anxious to see how DCL compares. We have no kids, but are traveling with a couple with 1 daughter (9). I have stayed in cabins that were in the belly of the ship, sleeping 4 to a room .....to a penthouse suite with a balcony on the top deck, and everything inbetween. I am one of those who has fun no matter what we do and where we go, but I am going to be interested in seeing how DCL compares.

I will be sure to give you a big review and compare lines when I return in April.

mrsfuzzmo

 

[fred ferdlap]

A question.

Now that other cruise lines are starting to turn out newer ships.
Slides, Ice rinks, climbing walls!!
We were also wondering how they compare. Disney ships are aging, but you could never tell, They are kept quite clean.

With a 2yr old most cruise lines do not compare to disney (I thought)?? We like the kids programs for little ones on Disney, I did not know other cruise lines could compare?

DCL is pricey and most agents that deal with this on a daily basis told me I was crazy to book on Disney this Oct. We did and enjoyed the heck out of it!

 

[gscott8075]

Yes, I forgot about the fresh vs salt water pools. I did not mind - my wife definitely did not like the salt. On the + side, the water in the RCCL ships are refilled every 15-20 minutes with new water. I have always been leery of getting into a pool when 1500 of my closest friends have been in.

I was also concerned at the terminal. The RCCL terminal was not nice - especially compared to the DCL terminal. I looked at Steph and asked, "What have I done?" Once we got on, my fears subsided. Clearly, DCL ships are magnificent - as someone send reflective of the grand ocean liners. Again, is the huge cost difference worth it?

As far as the kids clubs, that is the tradeoff. DCL's are open all day until 12-1am. RCCL closes for lunch and requires $5 per hour after 10. Since they plan fun activities after 10, the kids want to go - so I felt kind of pulled in. Again, since the cruise was a lot less, it was a negligible amount.

Please do not get me wrong - I LOVE DCL and we will surely go again. This was my first time on a non-DCL. I was expecting it to be totally sub-par and it really wasn't. My kids did not have a preference. They loved the rock wall and some of the other activities. They collected points during the cruise - at the end, they traded in for prizes. They did not want to leave the kid's activities. That was a clear indicator that they enjoyed it.

Emily remembered one of the counselors from one of our DCL cruises who was on the Enchantment - that was very cool.

I also loved the itinerary - 5 nights was the right length.
At Sea
Jamaica
Grand Cayman
At Sea

The at sea days were very relaxing and having them as "bookends" to the port days was great.

I think Grand Cayman was as nice as Castawat Cay - very clean and the locals were very friendly - and it was a "real" place.

I also felt on our last Magic cruise that DCL was becoming overly pushy on the wine program and the soda cup program. It was everywhere the first two days from the moment we walked on the ship. Though both were also on RCCL, I did not feel like it was shoved in my face.

The cruise was full - but there were plenty of open deck chairs - in the shade and the sun. We never had to look, never had to wait. Many times on DCL we had real difficulty finding a chair.

One last DCL criticism is the loyalty program. The Castaway Club is really poor. After all of the cruises, we have lots of pins, several beach towels, and several beach bags. Nothing else - no special deals, no lounge area. RCCL's program is very extensive. After 5 cruises and 10 cruises, they add all kinds of perks including concierge service after 10, free excursions and the like.

Once again, I LOVE DCL. My dilemma going forward will be the price relative to the other lines.

 

[Dancind]

Our first cruise was on the Magic in Oct. '02. The whole family absolutely loved it. We booked the Dec. '04 10-day Christmas cruise as soon as it was announced. We're saving up, and really looking forward to being on the Magic again.

Meanwhile, I started looking around, reading the Cruise Critic board, checking out the deals. We are now booked for this Christmas, for a 10 day cruise on Celebrity Horizon. It's an older ship, but this cruise is costing the three of us 40% of the price of our Disney cruise next year. It does look like the children's program is not as extensive as Disney's, so I'm not sure my daughter will enjoy it as much. But she will have three days of scuba diving with Dad, at Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Roatan. And we plan to take an excursion through the Panama Canal locks on a ferry, and to take an aerial tram over the rain forest in Costa Rica. The food is supposed to be a little better than Disney, though the entertainment is not supposed to be as good. We don't gamble, either. Lastly, the cabins don't compare well to Disney.

Can't wait to see what this experience is like. I'm pretty sure we will still want to take the Magic cruise next year, but what difference in price! Diana

 

[ReadyForDisney2003]

We just got off the Magic 10/11 and I will tell you our thoughts. We LOVE the DCL, but our neighbors were not as enthuastic as we are. They did an RCCL last year and their kids preferred the RCCL clubs. The ages currently are DS8 and DD10. I'm beginning to believe the clubs on RCCL are better for older kids, but Disney wins hands down for the younger crowd. My DD4 had a wonderful time in her club, but my DS8 was just so-so in the Disney Lab. Also, Disney really CATERS to the younger girls with all the princess stuff.

I found that there were a TON of new staff members on board the 10/11 Magic. This was really a problem because they were 'training' or 'i'll find out'. I didn't feel like the service this time was up to par. It was MUCH better on our Magic trip of Thanksgiving, 2001.

We came back and checked prices for Spring Break of 2005 and the pricing for a verandah on the RCCL Voyager is comperable to that of a verandah on DCL. I have one more DCL trip committed to (because of the ages of my kids) and then I will venture out and see what other lines are like.

As a side note.... We went to Animal Kingdom after we got off the Magic and I was BLOWN AWAY with the quality of the shows there. It really showed how dated the shows were on the Magic. I know the Golden Mickeys are coming onboard soon, but both Hercules and Morty are old and need replacing. The shows at Animal Kindom were of the quality of Cirque du Soleil -- amazing.

 

[sabaka]

To the person with questions on CCL. We have sailed many cruise lines and this month sailed disney. Great experiences with all. But if you have children CCl may not be for you. CCL is inexpensive and thus lots of collage students! I loved it when I was in caollage but now with kids not so good. However my OLDER sister and her husband are retired and they cruised last year for the 1st time on Carnival and loved it. They will be cruising on Celebrity this winter and I am eager to find out if they still hold CCL in such high rating! Hope this helps

 

[ElaineMc]

We just finished our first cruise (Disney) and now I would like to try another cruise line just to compare. We are thinking about RCCL and I was curious as to where the more desirable decks and staterooms are. Are there split bathrooms, showers, tubs? If anyone has any info, I would appreciate it. s

 

[MNTigger]

My husband and I just completed our first ever cruise and we did it on the Disney Wonder. Since this was our first cruise and we didn't really know if we would like it, we started with the 3-day.

We really enjoyed it and thought 3 days was waaaaaaaaaay too short. You barely get into it and it's over!

We really enjoyed the cruise and would like to do a 7 day. We had the March 6th Eastern sailing in mind, however the rates are quite high for a cat 6 this late in the game.

It looks like we'll still be cruising on March 6th anyway, just on RCCL Explorer instead. We were able to get a Superior Oceanview with Balcony for $1,000 pp less than what Disney wanted.

My husband and I want to cruise with Disney again. We just know that you need to book further in advance to get greater discounts.

We will have something to compare DCL to now.

 

[NCRedding]

Elaine Mac: We were on the Radiance in a Cat 4. There was no split bath or tub in our room. Not sure about the others.

I've posted my comparisons before, and was "ribbed" by someone who didn't like my choice of words, but here goes. We went on RCCL Radiance to Alaska in July. I wanted to like RCCL because of the price differences. However, following that trip, I decided just to save my money and continue to sail Disney. The deciding factor was the staff: I had 4 somewhat negative encounters with RCCL staff in one week, including one very negative interaction with guest services. On my 4 DCL cruises, I've had no negative encounters with staff. I found the food to be of lesser quality and presentation on the Radiance, than on DCL. RCCL does a poor job of separating adults and kids. Even though there were only 120 kids under the age of 12 on our Radiance sailing (and up to 600 on our DCL sailings) I felt overrun by kids on RCCL. My DD enjoyed the kids programs on both, and gives a slight edge to the DCL line. The entertainment for adults was less on the Radiance (again, this could be a factor of Alaska and looking at the scenery is the main draw) I don't gamble and I'm not a big dancer, so there were days on the Radiance that I was a little bored because of lack of organized activities. (I had finished the 2 books I brought on board by this time). There are some things that are charged for on RCCL: sodas at all meals cost, the kids program costs after 10 (which is when they schedule the really fun things); the first run movies are on the TV as pay per view (9.95 each); the entertainment is not of the same caliber as DCL.; so I tried to factor that in my cost analysis. Again the is JMHO.

 

[kajohn]

I think both RCCL and DCL are comperable. The biggest factor in deciding which is preferred is probably which cruiseline you go on first. Since we had sailed RCCL twice before sailing DCL, and had amazingly wonderful experiences on both trips, we spent the whole time on our Magic cruise comparing the two, and RCCL came out ahead or tied on almost all accounts.

Here are exerpts from my DCL Magic cruise trip report comparing the two lines:

The Ship:
Since our experience was with the new RCCL ships, both the mega 142,000 ton Voyager and the new Radiance of the Seas, my first impressions of the ship weren’t that great. I was used to vast open areas with 8 story or more atriums etc. so I felt the atrium was very small, only 3 stories, and the ceilings in the dining rooms and Walt Disney theatre felt closed in. The Voyager dining room was 3 stories, and the Radiance 2, as well as the theatres on those ships had balconies, and took up two plus decks. I also felt there was better artwork in the stairwells hallways etc on RCCL ships. I love Disney so I did like looking at some of the pictures on the walls, but I enjoyed the different types of art and sculptures in the stairwells of RCCL ships.

However, as the week went on, we began to get used to the ship, and appreciate how it was reminiscent of old ocean liners.

I was not that impressed with the food, for some reason I had a hard time finding entrée’s I liked. That was never a problem on RCCL. I especially didn’t like the food on tropical night, if you don’t like Caribbean food, theirs not much else. However, my husband thought the food was great every night, and preferred the menus on DCL over RCCL.

The dress in the dining room wasn’t what I was expecting. On the RCCL ships, people follow the dress guidelines much more, and do dress formal for formal nights. On this trip I only saw one or two tuxes on formal night, and many people weren’t even dressed up at all. Our tablemates (we shared a table for 10 with another family of 5) didn’t follow the guidelines at all. The father wore a short sleeve shirt(not even a short sleeve dress shirt) on formal night and his (6 year old son) wore T-shirts and shorts most nights, and one or two nights he wore T-shirts and pants with sandals. I wasn’t offended and it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, I just think it makes the night more special when everyone dresses up. (My boys looked adorable in their sport coats and ties, so that made me happy! I got the best picture of them that night)
Crew Members – I thought the crew members were about the same as on RCCL, both were excellent, friendly and helpful. No complaints from either line. I think the service is the best part of cruising, when you are a stay at home mom, the pampering is the best part!

Shows – Disney Dreams was my favorite and Hercules the Muse-ical was my husband’s and DS9’s favorite. I had heard a lot about Disney Dreams and was hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed, and I wasn’t! I found myself teary-eyed watching it, not believing that I was finally there seeing it!

The production quality of the shows was definitely better than RCCL. Most of their shows are entertainers, which I enjoyed, but nothing beats a Disney themed production show. That being said, the quality of the production of Morty the Magician was good, but I found the storyline to be a bore, and finally left after 25 minutes or so. Definitely would not see that one again or recommend it to someone else.

Here is the link to the full trip report if anyone is interested: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=332407

I will add that I thought the cruise director's were much more entertaining and their staff more fun on the RCCL ships. I know that varies a lot on RCCL since the line is so large, but we had the best ever cruise director on the Radiance in 2002, Gordon Whatham, I would pick an RCCL ship again just to get him if I could! I felt the DCL cruise director was very "stuffy" in his white dress uniform, he just didn't seem approachable. The DCL cruise director staff was pleasant enough, just not as fun as the staff we had on the Radiance. The radiance staff in 2002 was so entertaining when we played Bingo, we probably spent too much money just because we were having such a good time, whereas I didn't think the DCL staff were near as much fun during bingo.

I do think that because we sailed RCCL first, that made the biggest difference. We fell in love with cruising when saiing RCCL, so that is our preference now.

 

[PiperG]

Kajohn,

As the prior poster (NCREDDING) knows, we are going on the Radiance of the Seas on August '04.

Can you order tuxedos through the cruise line? I know that was an option on DCL, but we opted for a sport-coat type of dress. It sounds like RCCL is more formal, which sounds like fun.

Thanks!

 

[staylor]

DH and I have been on cruises with RCCL, CCL, Celebrity, Disney, and Costa. I LOVE CRUISING! I have to say, I'd rather NEVER cruise another day in my life than have to go on CCL again. Here's what I tell people when they are considering what they are looking for in a cruise vacation.
Is this a family vacation with children? Say No to CCL
Adults only, ready to party, drink, & gamble? Yes CCL
Do you care about the quality of the food? No CCL
Quality of the service (room, dining, etc.) No CCL
Wanting a relaxing, hang out by the pool, go to the spa? No CCL
Do you want to be around hundreds of 18-20 year olds drunk the entire cruise? Yes CCL

We would take our children on RCCL in a heart beat. Costa was a nice cruise, mainly international travelers. Don't think I'd take my kids though only because they'd be bored. Celebrity has by far the most outstanding food and service we have ever had on a cruise ship. If you want gourmet food, this is your place. We'd take our kids on Celebrity when they're a bit older like 10 or above. Disney of course is a no brainer. Love it!

It all depends on what you are looking for in a cruise. IMHO
Hope this helps and hope not to offend anyone.