From DCL to Carnival, what to expect?

[mevelandry]

Not true at all. I have cruised on other cruise lines besides Disney.
And 2 different travel agents said that I probably wouldn't like Carnival......they will book them, just giving me their opinion.

I guess it it depends on your profile. Like I said on another thread ... I use to stay mostly deluxe in WDW so when I tried Art of Animation I was a bit scared. Turns out that the soundproofing was not good but other than that I have had a lovely experience. I visited Pop Century (hated the pictures) oh surprise... loved it too!!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

But they did have the hairy chest contest on our cruise.

Another positive from our Carnival cruise - they had the best hamburgers I've had on any cruiseline.

Cool, I hope I win!

 

[amanda ek]

Ive been on all the major cruise lines and was sooooo disappointed by our carnival cruise. I talked to my MIL's friend who goes on 2-3 carnival cruises A YEAR and loves them....she said the problem with our cruise is that we were on an old ship and that it was a 3 or 4 night over the weekend cruise to Mexico (booze cruise party boat). So if you go, make sure it's a new boat and consider the itinerary more than you normally would.

 

[mevelandry]

Carnival sunshine (refurbished recently I heard). 7 nights departing from NYC in october.Going to Bermuda.

 

[Ajojo]

I have had one Carnival cruise to Alaska, and I Have also done Disney Alaska.

Carnival lacked the entertainment, big time. I also had to buy a soda package, but my family did not have a bad time. We actually had great shore excursion experiences and we got to stop in Sitka, which was a favorite. Since the daylight is longer, I stayed on the balcony looking for wildlife when my family went to the shows. True, there are no Disney touches, but it wasn't a bad trip. I did learn that I do enjoy entertainment on a cruise (shows and movies) so I have stuck with DCL since.

The DCL cruise that I liked least is the Alaska cruise.

 

[Cldfront]

The DCL cruise that I liked least is the Alaska cruise.

Could you say why you liked it the least? Thanks!

 

[turtle27]

Just get your expectations in line with what you are paying, essentially. No characters, more of a party vibe, many less on board activities, they want you in the casino, food was meh, not bad, not great, only vegetable they knew how to prepare at dinner were potatoes. Actually, this made us laugh, you could get chicken with potatoes, steak with potatoes, fish with potatoes (they used the same sides for many of the main dishes). We ordered a veggie tray from room service and the veggies had mold on them. We just laughed, I guess we should have been more horrified that someone did not check that before it got out of the kitchen.

I really enjoyed the cruise, it was cheap and had a great itinerary.

The staff are not as great, well, some are and some aren't. Our first night, we had the worst server at anytime dining, ignored us, dinner took about 3 hours because he kept not coming to our table. We were not mean, I promise! He was just more interested in the scantily clad women at another table who had had quite a bit to drink. We were not pretty or flirtatious enough for him apparently. The next night, we found a wonderful server and asked for him every other night we dined in the dining room.

4 of us stayed in a suite, thinking that suite meant suite. I still wish we had opted for 2 verandah rooms. The room was not arranged well, the layout was just really not what I would call good. They could have done some things differently. Now, I was invited along on this cruise and went along and all plans had been made before I was invited. Had I done any research, I would have found out before hand about Carnival's "suites". The suite would be nice for a couple. Maybe for 3 friends. Only 1 bathroom and 4 girls. Disney really does do their staterooms better.

I do remember being really bored on our sea day, we had 5 stops, so I needed to stay out of the sun for at least one day. The tv options were limited, I could not go in the casino due to smoke, as well as some bars, etc. I think I read through 4 books that day. You may not have the same issues as I have, so this could be different for you.

We did like being able to get pay movies from the room and also that you could book excursions and look at your account charges on your tv.

We also were not wowed with the entertainment, a few of the performers should have had their mics turned off, they were great dancers, not so much live singers. It was vegas style.

Anytime dining was a nice change from the standard DCL dining times, you go when hungry and we typically did not have to wait long. We did not do the pay for dining, the friends I went with had platinum status, and had tried it and were not overly impressed.

The platinum status on Carnival was nicer than DCL's status. We had free laundry, priority debarkation, and some other perks I do not remember. The free laundry was awesome.

Again, I would just keep your expectations in line with what you pay for the cruise. I pay more on Disney and therefore expect more from them. Better staff, better shows, better food in general. It was still so much fun, just different. And a whole lot cheaper.

 

[Meriweather]

I guess it it depends on your profile. Like I said on another thread ... I use to stay mostly deluxe in WDW so when I tried Art of Animation I was a bit scared. Turns out that the soundproofing was not good but other than that I have had a lovely experience. I visited Pop Century (hated the pictures) oh surprise... loved it too!!

Glad you liked it all.
I did not like POP at all.
Everyone is different.
A friend and I did book a Carnival once and then changed it to HAL.....and that was lovely. Price was the point then, but we sucked it up to go on a Dancing with the Stars cruise.

 

[mevelandry]

Just get your expectations in line with what you are paying, essentially. No characters, more of a party vibe, many less on board activities, they want you in the casino, food was meh, not bad, not great, only vegetable they knew how to prepare at dinner were potatoes. Actually, this made us laugh, you could get chicken with potatoes, steak with potatoes, fish with potatoes (they used the same sides for many of the main dishes). We ordered a veggie tray from room service and the veggies had mold on them. We just laughed, I guess we should have been more horrified that someone did not check that before it got out of the kitchen.

I really enjoyed the cruise, it was cheap and had a great itinerary.

The staff are not as great, well, some are and some aren't. Our first night, we had the worst server at anytime dining, ignored us, dinner took about 3 hours because he kept not coming to our table. We were not mean, I promise! He was just more interested in the scantily clad women at another table who had had quite a bit to drink. We were not pretty or flirtatious enough for him apparently. The next night, we found a wonderful server and asked for him every other night we dined in the dining room.

4 of us stayed in a suite, thinking that suite meant suite. I still wish we had opted for 2 verandah rooms. The room was not arranged well, the layout was just really not what I would call good. They could have done some things differently. Now, I was invited along on this cruise and went along and all plans had been made before I was invited. Had I done any research, I would have found out before hand about Carnival's "suites". The suite would be nice for a couple. Maybe for 3 friends. Only 1 bathroom and 4 girls. Disney really does do their staterooms better.

I do remember being really bored on our sea day, we had 5 stops, so I needed to stay out of the sun for at least one day. The tv options were limited, I could not go in the casino due to smoke, as well as some bars, etc. I think I read through 4 books that day. You may not have the same issues as I have, so this could be different for you.

We did like being able to get pay movies from the room and also that you could book excursions and look at your account charges on your tv.

We also were not wowed with the entertainment, a few of the performers should have had their mics turned off, they were great dancers, not so much live singers. It was vegas style.

Anytime dining was a nice change from the standard DCL dining times, you go when hungry and we typically did not have to wait long. We did not do the pay for dining, the friends I went with had platinum status, and had tried it and were not overly impressed.

The platinum status on Carnival was nicer than DCL's status. We had free laundry, priority debarkation, and some other perks I do not remember. The free laundry was awesome.

Again, I would just keep your expectations in line with what you pay for the cruise. I pay more on Disney and therefore expect more from them. Better staff, better shows, better food in general. It was still so much fun, just different. And a whole lot cheaper.

Out of curiosity... Which cruiseship and when?

 

[Ajojo]

The DCL cruise that I liked least is the Alaska cruise.[/QUOTE]

Could you say why you liked it the least? Thanks!

I had just come off my most favorite vacation ever on the Disney Med and I guess my expectations were high. The Alaska trip just wasnt great.

It may have started when I flew in the day before and there were problems with my reservation at the hotel. I found a Disney rep and they also had problems with my reservation. It was all resolved eventually, but I spent the day in the hotel lobby instead of exploring Vancouver. I did learn to ALWAYS keep that spiral booklet from Disney with all your cruise information with you just in case there are any issues.

The excursions I choose were not great and my table mates....YIKES. I was sitting at the solo travelers table and all 3 of the other travelers were not Disney folks. They just wanted to take an Alaskan cruise and spent the dinner complaining about everything nonstop.

Each cruise experience is different and if I had to rank my DCL cruises, the Alaska trip is one I liked the least.

 

[Sytrace]

I took my Mom and kids on the Carnival Sensation a few years ago. We had two rooms side by side with my Mom and DD in that one and my DS and I in the other. They were so small and the kids were not all that big either. Found myself squishing against the wall to get in and out. Their excursions are an absolute mess with no real organization. We had a fairly good experience in Nassau but only because I had been there before and knew how to get to Atlantis. Still, I made sure we got back to the ship 3 hours before departure because I didn't feel confident that the excursion would be that good. But Freeport was a hot mess with no organization at all. We saw crowds of people shoving each other (yes, they were cruise passengers from our ship) and decided to go back on the boat and hit the water slides all day. The food in the dining room was lackluster at best but the buffet was not really that bad.

We are going on our 6th DCL cruise in September and love everything about it. Obviously. lol Perhaps we will try RCL and/or Princess at some point, but not Carnival again.

 

[mevelandry]

About room size... Let me start by saying our bedroom at home is less than 100 sq feet. And we are happy with it.

I think the room we'll have on the ship is 185 sq feet. It's a Cloud 9 room (chose it for the illimited spa access).

About the excursions: I've been looking at the excursions and I think we are probably gonna go and visit on our own.

 

[AFamily]

I have done two Carnival Cruises, and will be going on my first Disney Cruise one month from tomorrow (woo hoo!) From what I gather these are two very different experiences, but that is not bad. We have really enjoyed both of our Carnival Cruises. The food was good, service was good, and we stayed entertained. Most of the entertainment we had did not come from shows that they put on, but from the games and guest participation in events. The main thing is, it seems that Disney does the work to entertain you, but with Carnival you have to put forth the effort.
Our first cruise, I did the Hairy Chest Contest and a friend of ours had an impromptu dance off in the dance club. This was fun.
On our second cruise, I was in a guys vs. girls synchronized swimming competition, the runner for a team effort scavenger hunt, and the winner of a cup stacking race using my non dominate hand; and my wife won a game of Bear, Ninja, Cowboy (variation of Rock, Paper, Scissors). That cruise we came home with 4 plastic trophies of the cruise ship!
The point is, let your hair down and enjoy Carnival! You or someone you don't know will be doing things that you wouldn't do anywhere else and it can be very entertaining if you just let loose!

 

[erocrobro]

If there is not rotational dining, how do you know where to eat? Do you have assignments or you eat where you feel like eating?

You will be assigned a dining room and have the same one every night with the same table and serving team. I think they have one dining room with anytime doing, but we didn't do that.

We were on the Carnival Liberty last summer following a Disney Fantasy cruise the summer before. I was a little nervous but, honestly, we had a great time. Main differences were the general atmosphere of elegance on DCL is replaced with a glitzy Vegas type atmosphere. My kids did not use the clubs at all after they tried them once the first day, they do not compare to DCL at all but it turned out OK because there was so much more for them to do up on the pool/sports decks. The pools were better, they loved the water slides.

I did not like the way the Liberty was set up in that you had to walk past the very smokey casino to get to the dining rooms and the walkway was packed with photographers every night, but once you got past all of that you were at the Alchemy Bar which in itself is the reason I'm considering another cruise on Carnival. (Along with the Blue Iguana tacos and burritos.) I felt like there was more to do in the evenings and at night in Carnival. The main shows were nowhere near as good but they had some great comedy shows and my kids discovered a love of karaoke.

I think you can have a good time on most cruise lines as long as you do your research and go into it with a good attitude that is realistic for what you paid. Next summer we are headed to the NCL Getaway and we can't wait!

 

[mevelandry]

What I really expect from a cruise is: a clean room and a clean environment, good food/restaurants, a relaxing ambiance and good ports. So far, what I read online about the cruiseship satisfies me. I already have a "to do" list!

 

[turtle27]

Out of curiosity... Which cruiseship and when?

I did a 7 night Southern Caribbean out of Puerto Rico in May of 2011 on the Carnival Victory. This is still one of my favorite itineraries. And Puerto Rico was much cheaper to get to than I would have guessed, from TX. I think we were able to upgrade to business and it was still less than my town to Orlando on Southwest or American.

 

[turtle27]

The DCL cruise that I liked least is the Alaska cruise.

I had just come off my most favorite vacation ever on the Disney Med and I guess my expectations were high. The Alaska trip just wasnt great.

It may have started when I flew in the day before and there were problems with my reservation at the hotel. I found a Disney rep and they also had problems with my reservation. It was all resolved eventually, but I spent the day in the hotel lobby instead of exploring Vancouver. I did learn to ALWAYS keep that spiral booklet from Disney with all your cruise information with you just in case there are any issues.

The excursions I choose were not great and my table mates....YIKES. I was sitting at the solo travelers table and all 3 of the other travelers were not Disney folks. They just wanted to take an Alaskan cruise and spent the dinner complaining about everything nonstop.

Each cruise experience is different and if I had to rank my DCL cruises, the Alaska trip is one I liked the least.[/QUOTE]

That is sad that the solo cruisers did not just enjoy Alaska. I would say, having sailed on Princess in Alaska, that I think just because Disney is a new game in town, that they are still not up to par with many of the Alaska things, as in no glacier bay!!! But that is just my opinion! I still found most of the excursions offered, even by Princess, sub par and not always worth the $$, there were exceptions, such as whale watching and a few others. But, in Fairbanks, part of the included tours were touristy, cheesy, and I wish I had opted to do more on my own. I hope you at least enjoyed Alaska for how beautiful it was. We are trying to get back, but not on Princess and not on Disney. We may go Celebrity.

 

[turtle27]

What I really expect from a cruise is: a clean room and a clean environment, good food/restaurants, a relaxing ambiance and good ports. So far, what I read online about the cruiseship satisfies me. I already have a "to do" list!

I don't think Carnival will disappoint you then. Maybe a bit with the food, but that is so subjective and they certainly have enough offerings that if you don't like something, you can get something else or go visit the buffet later.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

The Carnival Sunshine has a few really great features; I'm planning on a cruise on that ship next fall (I like Carnival cruises).

In the buffet area, they have great thin crust pizza, Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Burritos and tacos, Mongolian Wok, The Havana-Cuban area, plus the regular buffet area (salad bar, hot dishes, desserts, etc.) and the comfort kitchen.

There are a few for fee restaurants on the ship - JiJi's Asian Kitchen, Cucina de Capitano, Bonsai Sushi and the Steakhouse (most of these are dinner only - except for bonsai sushi).

You have the choice of assigned dining or anytime dining. For assigned dining, you'll get a table assignment for the entire cruise; for anytime dining, you go to the assigned dining room and they'll show you to a table.

For evening entertainment, they have the production shows, but there is also the comedy club (earlier in the evening is family friendly and then the later shows are +18); they also have live music in the Red Frog Pub, and often in the Havana Bar. There will also be Dive In Movies (shown on the big screen around the pool area) - they also provide blankets and free popcorn!

Room service is bit more limited than Disney as it's cold food only (continental breakfast, sandwiches and salads); but they do have really good chocolate cake and cheesecake on the menu as well.

The Serenity area (adults only) on the Sunshine is really great - it's multi levels and the pool has a 3 story waterfall in it.

There will be lots of trivia throughout the day. They will have the Dr. Seuss activities on the ship as well (Parade, story telling, brunch).

The waterworks area has 5 slides - ranging from the twister slide, to racing slides, to kiddie slides. Plus a variety of water features (sprayers, bucket, etc.)
There is also a ropes course on board, along with the "sports square" on the upper deck.

Some of the cabins were added during the refurbishment of the ship. All of the bedding and soft goods in every cabin have been updated, along with the public areas.

Bermuda is also a great place to visit - its an exceptional island; its very British. Beautiful beaches, great people, lots of see and do there so you'll be able to fill the 3 days with no problem.

 

[mevelandry]

The Carnival Sunshine has a few really great features; I'm planning on a cruise on that ship next fall (I like Carnival cruises).

In the buffet area, they have great thin crust pizza, Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Burritos and tacos, Mongolian Wok, The Havana-Cuban area, plus the regular buffet area (salad bar, hot dishes, desserts, etc.) and the comfort kitchen.

There are a few for fee restaurants on the ship - JiJi's Asian Kitchen, Cucina de Capitano, Bonsai Sushi and the Steakhouse (most of these are dinner only - except for bonsai sushi).

You have the choice of assigned dining or anytime dining. For assigned dining, you'll get a table assignment for the entire cruise; for anytime dining, you go to the assigned dining room and they'll show you to a table.

For evening entertainment, they have the production shows, but there is also the comedy club (earlier in the evening is family friendly and then the later shows are +18); they also have live music in the Red Frog Pub, and often in the Havana Bar. There will also be Dive In Movies (shown on the big screen around the pool area) - they also provide blankets and free popcorn!

Room service is bit more limited than Disney as it's cold food only (continental breakfast, sandwiches and salads); but they do have really good chocolate cake and cheesecake on the menu as well.

The Serenity area (adults only) on the Sunshine is really great - it's multi levels and the pool has a 3 story waterfall in it.

There will be lots of trivia throughout the day. They will have the Dr. Seuss activities on the ship as well (Parade, story telling, brunch).

The waterworks area has 5 slides - ranging from the twister slide, to racing slides, to kiddie slides. Plus a variety of water features (sprayers, bucket, etc.)
There is also a ropes course on board, along with the "sports square" on the upper deck.

Some of the cabins were added during the refurbishment of the ship. All of the bedding and soft goods in every cabin have been updated, along with the public areas.

Bermuda is also a great place to visit - its an exceptional island; its very British. Beautiful beaches, great people, lots of see and do there so you'll be able to fill the 3 days with no problem.

Everything you said makes me think I'm going to enjoy our trip. Thanks!