Is DCL Better?

[over50visits]

We're just back from Alaska on Carnival Spirit, after 3 Disney Wonder cruises in the past 18 months.

First, we had an absolute ball in Alaska. Wonderful scenery, port calls, locals to talk with. Our room steward was a gem, and the waiter was unexpectedly refined.

Is DCL better? No question. The Disney Wonder is a better maintained ship, a more sophisticated (and coordinated) decor, better entertainment, and a friendlier overall cast member attitude.

We're divided over the single large bathroom versus DCL's two. I liked the extra room, expecially around the toilet, and not feeling crowded. My DW liked her own sink/vanity on DCL and having separate shower/toilet.

I don't want to go into a long discussion of the differences. Just to tell you that it is possible to have a dream vacation on another line, but you always find yourself comparing the experience with Disney. Made us appreciate the mouse even more

 

[Scouter]

I asked my travel agent this same question. She been on a lot of different cruise ships. She said on every other cruise ship she kept on comparing
it with Disney. She said the entertainment is much better. The staff is much
friendlier. And she loved the dinner rotations.
I guess that I don't need to try any other cruise line!

 

[my3kids]

Scouter...funny you mention the dinner rotations. I was showing my daughter the Royal Caribbean ship we'll be on this summer and she looked at the photo of the dining room. She asked what the other dining rooms looked like. I explained that everyone ate in this huge, multi tiered room and there wasn't a rotation like her last trip on DCL. She was pretty upset she was going to have to eat in the same room for 9 nights in a row!!

 

[off to neverland]

Thanks so much for posting this. I'm planning a DCL cruise, and though I am sure of the choice, I still like hearing how it compares to the other lines.

Anybody else care to give us more comparisons?

I'm particularly interested in the entertainment differences, and why you thought DCL's was superior.

I'm getting so exctied for our cruise, but it's sooooo far away and we haven't even booked it yet.

 

[CTXRover]

We were on a Carnival ship a long time ago and after that experience we figured we would never do a cruise again. When Disney entered the business, we tried it again and it was perhaps the best vacation we've ever been on. This cruise gave us more confidence in cruising and since then we took a Princess Cruise to Alaska.

We were on the Island Princess, a larger ship than the Magic or Wonder and was relatively a newer ship (built one or two years before our cruise). While we had an excellent cruise and the ports of call were unbelievable, we were continuously comparing it to the Disney ships. While the Princess ship was bigger and more elegant in decor in some areas, the overall experience was no where close. The service, food quality and variety, and most of all the entertainment offerings are far superior on the Disney ships. The rooms are also better designed for family's on the Disney ships. On Princess, the room was relatively smaller for a similar category and made me really appreciate the divided bath on the Disney ships. Getting ready in the mornings with one small bathroom on the Princess cabins was a nightmare sometimes.

We've been back on the Magic three times now and will be heading out again in three weeks on the west cruise. There really is no cruise experience like Disney.

 

[mommasita]

WE have considered other lines as well. Carnival or something less expensive.
We would rather NOT cruise, and save up to do Disney..One day when the kids are older perhaps but with them being 6, and 9, I will stick with Disney, they LOVE it..

Maybe if I ever had a chance to go just DH and I, then I would do another cruise line, because it would only be us complaining...

It is hard to follow in Disney's footsteps....

 

[staceymerrill]

Over the past 5 years, I've been in positions where we've wanted friends to travel with us on DCL, and really had to sell them on taking the cruise...most have a preconceived notion of Disney Cruise Line as being cutesy, with an emphasis on characters over quality, decor,food,service, and entertainment.....Subsequently,we've never had friends be disappointed when they have traveled with us-In fact, the cruises have exceeded our friends every expectation (as well as ours).....

Yes, the Voyager class ships are compelling, but for us it's DCL all the way....

 

[MariettaC]

I knew it! We are three couples planning a July 3 cruise aboard Holland America's Amsterdam to Alaska. I've been on two 7 day Disney cruises and I can't believe any other line can match Disney. The Magic is absolutely beautiful, the food was wonderful and so was the entertainment and service. I'm sure I'll enjoy the trip to Alaska but I doubt if it will match a Disney cruise.

 

[JSCTRico4]

DH and I have a Royal Caribbean on hold today for May 06. 14 days to Hawaii. We are going alone without the kids. If Disney did Hawaii from San Diego, we would do it that way, but, it's not an option. We are doing this one without the kids because we are already taking them out of school for 2 weeks for REPO back to Florida in August. It is a concern of mine that it won't compare to our Magic experience, but, we really wanted to cruise to Hawaii.... I've never been.....

 

[jillane88]

For a cruise without the kiddos, I recommend Radisson Seven Seas. Although they are considered a Luxury Cruise line, you get what you pay for. My DH and I spent our 10 yr anniversary last year on a Tahiti Cruise. It was amazing, best food, best entertainment, best everything - without kids. This particular ship has no kids programs at all. But, it was amazing in every way. We payed more for just the two of us, than we are paying for our whole family of 5 on our Western Magic, May 2006. It was worth every penny though! Would do it again in a heartbeat and would sail with them again without the kiddos.

Heather
Western Magic May 2006

 

[tuckermom]

I have to agree with Rover. My DH and I took a 7 day Carnival cruise years ago and figured it would be our last. DH couldn't wait to get off that ship!Friends kept telling us about Disney, so April '05 we did the 4 day Wonder. We couldn't wait to book another! We just did the 7 day Western and rebooked for the CC Double Dip May '06. We have two kids ages 12 & 11, but DH and I would choose Disney on our own as well!

 

[kcashner]

We sailed 2 other cruise lines prior to DCL being in existence. Now, it may not be fair to compare a 1995 and 1997 cruise to our 12 sailings on the Magic, but....
I think the fact that we sailed on each of the other ships once and we have been on the Magic 12 times (and number 13 is soon approaching) says it all.

First, the children's programming is beyond comparison. Other lines consider coloring pages and watching cartoon videos to be a kid's program (at least in the 4-5 group). DD has now been in the Club, Lab, and Stack and enjoyed them all. She did get tired of the Lab after several sailings, but now totally loves the teen program. The adult and family entertainment are beyond anything else we experienced. The service on DCL is beyond compare.

We would like to go on an Alaska cruise, but for now we are delaying it to see if DCL might offer such a sailing in a few years!

 

[lookingforward]

I know that this has been dicussed before, but here is my input:

We have sailed DCL, Costa, NCL, RCCL, Celebrity and Crystal. Each line has certain things that make it stand out. Celebrity had MUCH better food than DCL, hands down (in our opinion). Crystal is more upscale and personal, luxury to the max. RCCL has awesome sports activities and exciting facilities. NCL is a great deal for a cheap price. Costa did not thrill us but had great italian food.

As far as child programs, my kids loved Celebrity and RCCL better than DCL. Why? They did not like the big crowds on the WOnder. They felt that they got more attention and time for activities on RCCL. Just their opinions.

Entertainment is really top notch on DCL. But if you travel on it again and again I think it might get a little old. At least for me. RCCL has great shows (yes, they are more adult oriented) but they also offer a breathtaking ice show on the Voyager ships that is first rate. The casino factor is also there, and some that cruise DCL love not having the casino onboard. We enjoy visiting the casino for a little bit and trying our luck.

The cabins on DCL are great but expensive. We sailed on Celebrity in a royal suite (with a hot tub on the balcony, flat screen televisions, living room, bedroom, dining area, and full time butler service) for less than a Cat 3 on the Magic. And Celebrity had a specialty restuarant as well as a sushi bar, buffet restuarant, etc.

For my family it also comes down to itineraries. We have sailed the carribean so often that we are looking to shake it up a bit. I would have LOVED to take the 14 night Panama cruise but two of my kids are older and can't miss school for that long. We sailed Alaska and are now looking at Europe and Hawaii.

Crystal was amazing but now geared for children. What a treat for an adults only cruise. The food was amazing and the service is equivalant to a Ritz or Four Seasons hotel. Very relaxing.

I am booking a DCL four night for March. I will be taking two of my three kids (the other one is going to Europe with his school). My husband is choosing not to go on this one (he did not like the crowds in the pool and the food). I am looking forward to trying DCL again and this time I hope we will make Castaway Cay. I am a disney a'holic!

These comments are simply my opinion. Please don't think I am trying to question anyone's decisions. I just feel that there are other great options available for cruisers. Happy sailing!

 

[tvguy]

I knew it! We are three couples planning a July 3 cruise aboard Holland America's Amsterdam to Alaska. I've been on two 7 day Disney cruises and I can't believe any other line can match Disney. The Magic is absolutely beautiful, the food was wonderful and so was the entertainment and service. I'm sure I'll enjoy the trip to Alaska but I doubt if it will match a Disney cruise.

We cruised the Amsterdam to Alaska in June 2002 before our December 2003 cruise on the Magic. We have previously cruised NCL and RCCL.
I think you will love the Amsterdam and HAL. Yes, Disney is better, but only better by a hair.

 

[NCRedding]

Our only other cruise was on RCCL to Alaska. I loved Alaska, but kept comparing everything to DCL. In our comparison, there was nothing that RCCL did better than DCL--the food, the staff, the activities.

I got bored eating in the same dining room. I found there were far fewer things for an adult to do on RCCL than on DCL. The shows we saw on RCCL were amteurish in staging and correography. We did see the Osmond Brothers and that was good. Embarkation was a disaster, and disembarkation was slightly better, but still long.

We are trying NCL in two weeks with a cruise around the Hawaiian islands, so I'll write my comparison when I return. I am going into this one with much lowered expectations--we're on an older ship, and I recognize that freestyle will be much different than I am used to.

 

[Jsme]

I have to agree DCL is first class and much better than any other cruise line.

 

[minniemoms]

Well, thank you for the input. We want to go to Alaska next year, and since Disney doesn't do Alaska, we have to look for another ship. HAL, RCCL, or Princess, I just don't know which is best. Crystal? I am mid 40's , might be bringing kids, might not, NOt Drink or gamble, or that doesn't matter to me, I love the shows on Disney, and the activities, but I dont' mind a change, I just hope to find one that will almost measure up. Any suggestions, just PM me if you want. Judy

 

[my3kids]

Prices are really not often comparable between Disney and other lines. I was booked in a gorgeous verandah suite with a whirlpool bath on Holland America last year on basically the same itenirary as the Magic. My HAL suite was priced a lot less than a category 12 on Disney for the same week. W/ HAL I don't think you can give the "You get what you pay for" answer that might apply to other ships or lines. Disney is really expensive and really locked into pretty much the same ports(thankfully branching out a bit lately)

For the price and the variety of places to go, I think there is a whole wide world of ships I'm willing to try. I figure something is going to be better than someone else on every ship, something not as good as another. We won't know which we like best until we've tried them all ......a few down, a few hundred to go.....