Is Disney starting to slack compared to other cruises?

[nearlyfallinstar]

Which ship and what part exactly? I've recently booked the Vista and watched many videos and pictures and don't know which area you are refering to.

Ah... it wasn't the Vista that had the outdoor hotel look. I actually messed up and it was an RCCL ship that had that. Oops! lol. The Vista says waterpark to me. Bet it is awesome for those people that want that! The lobby/atrium of the new Vista is nice as well. Like a PP said, it looks much less like Vegas and I think the pillar changed scenes which would be cool. Have fun!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Gonna mention right quick I was just on Anthem of the Seas. I always thought the North Star (ride) was gimmicky and dumb. I mean, I'm a Disney kid. *I* know a fun ride when I see it, right? Wrong. North Star was really an amazing experience. I've never seen anything like that. The views were incredible. The experience was awesome. The pictures I got are amazing. My only regret is that I only managed to ride it once. Totally fine with eating crow.

I'm not going to do a big Disney/non-Disney debate. Each cruise line has their schtick. I have sailed Disney (14x), NCL (3x), & Royal (2x). I can tell you from actually having experienced some others that each have strengths and weaknesses. Disney included. I don't view any line as superior to the others. Yep, including Disney. They're each different. The pricing structures are different and that's okay. I have no issue with that. I'm learning that I like trying big new things, though. Makes for a lot of excitement!

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
-Walt Disney

Opening new doors and doing new things because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Yeah. That's me. If variety is the spice of life I'm all about seeking out new flavors.

 

[truck1]

I think they only fill the ships during peak times (Christmas, Easter, other breaks) although not always. If you are sailing off season you can often get a reduced GT rate that is lower than opening day prices. At least it has been for us. 4 times in the last 2 years. So I agree, the ships are not always full.

That's not entirely true.

DCL seems to be one of the few (if not only) cruise line that regularly allows upgrades at the Port. This clearly shows that DCL is NOT sailing full - otherwise, there would be no cabins to upgrade TO.

I asked GS about that 1 day out of curiosity while on board. From what she told me, the Magic Wonder and Dream consistently sail between 95 and 100% full. The Fantasy was less in the 80% range.

There may be upgrades available on occasion, but the last 3 cruises weve been on, there been a sign at GS and during check in saying that the ship was full, don't ask.

 

[mevelandry]

Ah... it wasn't the Vista that had the outdoor hotel look. I actually messed up and it was an RCCL ship that had that. Oops! lol. The Vista says waterpark to me. Bet it is awesome for those people that want that! The lobby/atrium of the new Vista is nice as well. Like a PP said, it looks much less like Vegas and I think the pillar changed scenes which would be cool. Have fun!

You are right, the waterworks section does look like a waterpark. I love to see all those colors on a ship.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I always find these conversations so interesting. Unlike most here, I started cruising with my family on all sorts of other lines. It wasn't until quite recently that I even knew DCL existed let alone looked at them as an option.

When we sailed, we sailed for the itinerary. We were often on older ships as they tend not to put newer ships on many of the routes we took. None of the ships we sailed had any of the "exciting features" and they all kind of looked and felt the same to me (except windstar, which is a totally different deal).

I then took a break from cruising after we put family vacations on hiatus due to grad school and first job schedules. But living in Florida, I was quickly bombarded with ads and realized that sailing to the Caribbean is incredibly popular and ridiculously easy from Florida!

My first jump back into cruising was a 7 night on the fantasy; it was the newest ship I've ever been on. I was enamored by the Disney theming but otherwise I didn't think it looked or felt any different than any other ship I'd been on (from the inside). The ships are gorgeous from the outside, but for me personally that's minimal since most of the time I'm not looking at the outside.

Since then I've done at least 2 Caribbean cruises a year and have only returned to DCL for interim 3-day weekend cruises. For 7+ days I tend to go with RCCL, Celebrity, or Princess for the itineraries and suite level rooms that fit my needs much better than the limited concierge offerings on DCL. I don't use any of the ship features beyond the pools and specialty dining, but DCL doesn't offer up anything worth their premium for me.

I don't think I am their target market though. I think they target families with young children first and foremost. I also think that for repeat cruisers they target those who are extremely brand loyal to Disney. A lot of people (clear to see on many DCL threads), trust implicitly that Disney is the best and provides the best. There is also a certain level of trust and comfort many have with the Disney brand as well as a prestige it carries for some. I never personally equated Disney with luxury, status, or prestige, but after having spent some time on these boards realized that many do have that association.

I tend to look at Disney as critically as any other brand. I don't really get the whole "pixie dust" thing. I see usually good customer service on par with other offerings (I've also had some astonishingly bad service on DCL). I see DCL as having as many pluses and minuses as every other line I've tried.

I think it really comes down to what is important to you and how much are you willing to pay for it.

 

[cruiser21]

Gonna mention right quick I was just on Anthem of the Seas. I always thought the North Star (ride) was gimmicky and dumb. I mean, I'm a Disney kid. *I* know a fun ride when I see it, right? Wrong. North Star was really an amazing experience. I've never seen anything like that. The views were incredible. The experience was awesome. The pictures I got are amazing. My only regret is that I only managed to ride it once. Totally fine with eating crow.

I'm not going to do a big Disney/non-Disney debate. Each cruise line has their schtick. I have sailed Disney (14x), NCL (3x), & Royal (2x). I can tell you from actually having experienced some others that each have strengths and weaknesses. Disney included. I don't view any line as superior to the others. Yep, including Disney. They're each different. The pricing structures are different and that's okay. I have no issue with that. I'm learning that I like trying big new things, though. Makes for a lot of excitement!

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
-Walt Disney

Opening new doors and doing new things because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Yeah. That's me. If variety is the spice of life I'm all about seeking out new flavors.

Your cruise experience is very similar to mine DCL x14 CCLx 2 NCL x2 and RCLx1. I totally agree with you they're all unique. I have my favorite ships, but I can't say one cruise line is better then the other. Like you, I enjoy variety and trying new things. Its also nice to come "home". I consider DCL "home" . It's where we started cruising . Lots of good memories with my kids.
That being said my 13 year old is super excited to try the sky ride on Carnivals new ship. I'm sure he'd love that North Star thingy.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I asked GS about that 1 day out of curiosity while on board. From what she told me, the Magic Wonder and Dream consistently sail between 95 and 100% full. The Fantasy was less in the 80% range.

There may be upgrades available on occasion, but the last 3 cruises weve been on, there been a sign at GS and during check in saying that the ship was full, don't ask.

Pricing for most hotels and cruises is based on a projected utilization that is quite often less than 100%. This is even more so true on a cruise based on room occupancy, as they have to stay under a Max number, including infants. So they can hit utilization without filling every cabin.

Comes a certain point where you may not be able to book 2A and 2 children, b ecause they reached the utilization limit for children or infants. Cruises are funny that way.

 

[truck1]

Pricing for most hotels and cruises is based on a projected utilization that is quite often less than 100%. This is even more so true on a cruise based on room occupancy, as they have to stay under a Max number, including infants. So they can hit utilization without filling every cabin.

Comes a certain point where you may not be able to book 2A and 2 children, b ecause they reached the utilization limit for children or infants. Cruises are funny that way.

True. But what I was referring to is that the Fantasy, at least according to GS is the less likely to be filled ship. With the Wonder, Magic and the Dream sailing at or very near capacity every trip.

My million dollar question, is how many people ask for an upgrade each day, and how many get turned away.

As a former cm, whos used DCLs discount to sail, 1 of the stipulations is that you could be bumped at the pier. I never heard of any cm being bumped at the pier. Especially those of us who had cat 5 rooms, on the Magic class, and never were asked or told to move.

 

[M<3'sMickey]

Can I just say something which I am SURE will have people jumping all over my back (but I'm going to say it anyway)? Can we just stop a minute and think about how ridiculous we all sound? We're arguing over which cruise ship is better. Something that is a luxury that many, many people in this world will never, ever even get to experience. Heck, I have some kids in my class who have never even been to Build-a-Bear Workshop and who are dying to go there and can't wait for our class trip on Thursday because it's their only opportunity, and here we are going on and on about how this cruise ship is better and that one is better but being so mean about it.

Yes, some people are going to like the cruise ships that have those things that are the ooh and ahh factors and some people are going to like the ships that are quieter and more low key. Bottom line, you all do you and love and experience what you want to love and experience. I feel like it has become so prevalent nowadays for someone to tell someone else that their opinion is wrong. When did this become acceptable? If some of you are priced out of Disney, I'm sorry. We are beginning to feel that way too. And if some of you are bored of Disney because they don't have that WOW factor for you anymore, that's ok too. It's one less person I'm in competition with on Gold booking opening day to book my room . But to tell someone how awful their opinion is because they like chain or celebrity restaurants on another cruise line or a rock climbing wall or a crazy water slide is kinda spoiled sounding. I say all this having cruised both DCL and Celebrity cruise line. I can say that DCL is my absolute favorite because it caters to my current needs and wants but it's also a haven for good memories I have with my family before my dad passed away. Celebrity's crowd was a little old for me and I found the decor a little cheesy. But if those old people on board loved it, well, good for them! I'm willing to try other lines and the thing I love about DISboards is it's a place to go for information and research when I'm planning my next vacation (I don't know where some of you dig up information about things - I hope you guys are detectives or work for the CIA or FBI or something!). And if those other lines have a rock climbing wall, you certainly won't find my uncoordinated behind on it.

Just saying, guys. Maybe be can all be a little nicer about our opinions because really, this is case of #firstworldproblems.

(let the jumping on my back begin.......)

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Your cruise experience is very similar to mine DCL x14 CCLx 2 NCL x2 and RCLx1. I totally agree with you they're all unique. I have my favorite ships, but I can't say one cruise line is better then the other. Like you, I enjoy variety and trying new things. Its also nice to come "home". I consider DCL "home" . It's where we started cruising . Lots of good memories with my kids.
That being said my 13 year old is super excited to try the sky ride on Carnivals new ship. I'm sure he'd love that North Star thingy.

Yep. All cruise lines aren't made the same. Even different ships owned by the same line can be totally different. Different doesn't make any of them wrong (or right), better or worse. They're just different. It definitely took the mouse to get me to even try cruising. There's always something that feels like home when it's Disney for me. It's fun to hop around, tho. Keeping it all fresh.

 

[cruiser21]

Can I just say something which I am SURE will have people jumping all over my back (but I'm going to say it anyway)? Can we just stop a minute and think about how ridiculous we all sound? We're arguing over which cruise ship is better. Something that is a luxury that many, many people in this world will never, ever even get to experience. Heck, I have some kids in my class who have never even been to Build-a-Bear Workshop and who are dying to go there and can't wait for our class trip on Thursday because it's their only opportunity, and here we are going on and on about how this cruise ship is better and that one is better but being so mean about it.

Yes, some people are going to like the cruise ships that have those things that are the ooh and ahh factors and some people are going to like the ships that are quieter and more low key. Bottom line, you all do you and love and experience what you want to love and experience. I feel like it has become so prevalent nowadays for someone to tell someone else that their opinion is wrong. When did this become acceptable? If some of you are priced out of Disney, I'm sorry. We are beginning to feel that way too. And if some of you are bored of Disney because they don't have that WOW factor for you anymore, that's ok too. It's one less person I'm in competition with on Gold booking opening day to book my room . But to tell someone how awful their opinion is because they like chain or celebrity restaurants on another cruise line or a rock climbing wall or a crazy water slide is kinda spoiled sounding. I say all this having cruised both DCL and Celebrity cruise line. I can say that DCL is my absolute favorite because it caters to my current needs and wants but it's also a haven for good memories I have with my family before my dad passed away. Celebrity's crowd was a little old for me and I found the decor a little cheesy. But if those old people on board loved it, well, good for them! I'm willing to try other lines and the thing I love about DISboards is it's a place to go for information and research when I'm planning my next vacation (I don't know where some of you dig up information about things - I hope you guys are detectives or work for the CIA or FBI or something!). And if those other lines have a rock climbing wall, you certainly won't find my uncoordinated behind on it.

Just saying, guys. Maybe be can all be a little nicer about our opinions because really, this is case of #firstworldproblems.

(let the jumping on my back begin.......)

Nobody goes to a cruise board to discuss third or second world problems. So why even bring it up. We all feel blessed to be able to cruise. I'm sure most of us have problems that aren't fun. I know I do. I come here as an escape to discuss the fun part of my life which is traveling. I agree with you on many of your points, but keep in mind this is just a discussion board. Nothing is meant to be taken to seriously.

 

[KashasMom]

It's a different target market. If you like the other types of ships better there's nothing wrong with sailing other cruise lines. BUT be prepared, for what you gain in a thrilling water slide, a rock climbing wall, zip lines, etc you may lose in kids clubs, service, MDR food, character interaction, production shows, specialty dining options (specifically Remy), kids splash areas, etc.

We really like RCI's Oasis class ships. The pools and pool deck (which are really important to us) put DCL's to shame. The splash area is great as well although my daughter has outgrown it. Our daughter doesn't go in the kids' clubs (she had a bad experience on the Fantasy) - I'm not a fan of the 3-12 age range for the club. We were just on the Allure and 3 of 4 of the specialty restaurants were excellent. We never eat in the main dining room (that's one of my issues with Disney - hate making dinner a 2 hour deal - and no option of a dinner buffet). Madagascar breakfast and other character interactions were fun. We saw 5 excellent family friendly shows. My daughter loves the rock climbing wall and is waiting to be tall enough for the flow rider! We loved it so much we booked the Harmony for next year.

Honestly we never had the "amazing" Disney cruise until our Magic cruise in November, which I think was our 4th Disney cruise. I had read all the things for years thinking "that" never happened on our cruise. Somehow all the stars aligned and it was a great cruise. I do think much of it had to do with my daughter's age. We probably have 2 Disney cruises left in us unless one of the bigger/newer ships sail from NYC. We have tried NCL and RCI as a family and right now RCI works for us. There are a lot of cruising options now and I'm having fun trying them out!

 

[mevelandry]

Not jumping on anyone's back but the simple fact that we are all writing on forums about vacation is very "first world" to begin with.

Every single time I read a snobby comment about Carnival (from someone who has never set foot on any of their ships) I keep thinking about the people (from this First World) who can't even afford an alledgedly "affordable" cruise.

The truth is, I read a lot of "I'm too good for that cheap cruise line" type of comments on DISboards and that makes me very sad.

If I had snobbed the Carnival Victory just because of a little rust and old floors on some exterior parts, I would have missed all the fun, good shows, good food and good staff... The magic is in ourself. We can find it anywhere we want. We just have to open our heart to it.

As a minimalist I do think that sometimes, when it comes to "value", our emotions will interfere with our judgment (some of us could even travel "on the credit card" because we can't really afford DCL anymore, just because DCL makes us feel really good). And most of us are scared to make a mistake by trying something different and not enjoy it (apprehension is a terrible mindset when it comes to trying something new).

If jumping ship threads can help someone being less scared of trying something new... I feel like we are doing a good job.

 

[godde8ss]

Gonna mention right quick I was just on Anthem of the Seas. I always thought the North Star (ride) was gimmicky and dumb. I mean, I'm a Disney kid. *I* know a fun ride when I see it, right? Wrong. North Star was really an amazing experience. I've never seen anything like that. The views were incredible. The experience was awesome. The pictures I got are amazing. My only regret is that I only managed to ride it once. Totally fine with eating crow.

I'm not going to do a big Disney/non-Disney debate. Each cruise line has their schtick. I have sailed Disney (14x), NCL (3x), & Royal (2x). I can tell you from actually having experienced some others that each have strengths and weaknesses. Disney included. I don't view any line as superior to the others. Yep, including Disney. They're each different. The pricing structures are different and that's okay. I have no issue with that. I'm learning that I like trying big new things, though. Makes for a lot of excitement!

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
-Walt Disney

Opening new doors and doing new things because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Yeah. That's me. If variety is the spice of life I'm all about seeking out new flavors.

I know this is away from the thread, so, I'll try to align it with my question. I really like RCCL, but haven't cruised it with my kids. Of course, I love Disney, but I think its a different product, not that its slacking. And i will continue to sail off aeason and try other lines in peak times. I wanted to ask what you thought of NCL versus RCCL? I'm scared to try NCL

 

[mevelandry]

I know this is away from the thread, so, I'll try to align it with my question. I really like RCCL, but haven't cruised it with my kids. Of course, I love Disney, but I think its a different product, not that its slacking. And i will continue to sail off aeason and try other lines in peak times. I wanted to ask what you thought of NCL versus RCCL? I'm scared to try NCL

I can't speak as I haven't sailed with them yet but have many friends and co-workers who sailed with NCL with their family and I heard nothing but great reviews.

 

[mcd2745]

I know this is away from the thread, so, I'll try to align it with my question. I really like RCCL, but haven't cruised it with my kids. Of course, I love Disney, but I think its a different product, not that its slacking. And i will continue to sail off season and try other lines in peak times. I wanted to ask what you thought of NCL versus RCCL? I'm scared to try NCL

The question wasn't posed to me...however, last month we took our first cruise on NCL. We have done 4 DCL cruises and 3 RCCL cruises (BTW, the kids don't want us to sail RCCL anymore since all 3 cruises included trips to the medical office). Anyway, these comparisons are, of course, always subjective and YMMV.

IMO, all 3 lines have their pros & cons. I believe I mentioned in a post much earlier in this thread that I would love to take elements from all 3 to create the ideal ship and experience. There are a lot of similarities between RCCL and NCL (such as a casino), of course. I'll try to list any differences that stand out to me.

RCCL's pros are:

• they way design and lay out the ship - particularly the public spaces. The pool areas are less crowded than the other lines'. I think the Royal Promenade areas are the best design for the interior areas that include the shops and, in their case, a cafe (open 24 hrs - a huge plus) and pizzeria, bars, guest services, future cruise desk, etc.
• the types of activities that inspired this thread - rock wall, flow riders, etc.
• price compared to DCL

NCL's pros:

• for me, I really enjoyed the "freestyle" aspect when it came to dining. I know for so many other DCL fans, the idea of not having the same server every night and becoming FB friends with them and eventually having them and their families over for the holidays...is blasphemous. However, I never cared about nor really ever understood that. I greatly value flexibility. Not having to be herded like cattle with everyone else to all eat at the same time was a pleasure.
• they also have activities on their ships similar to RCCL that DCL doesn't have
• good variety of specialty restaurants, plus we really enjoyed the large space they had (O'Sheehans) that was themed as an Irish pub, open 24 hrs, had complimentary food, and had "bar" games (though did cost extra to play) such as dart, billiards, a mini bowling alley, arcade-style basketball, and skeeball. A fun place to hang out at night if loud clubs/lounges are not your thing.
• price compared to DCL
• Coffee maker in room (balcony and above)

RCCL's cons:

• too much merchandise hawking
• shows are okay, but not spectacular

NCL's cons:

• service was sub-par. whether it was the slow service in the dining rooms (we had a few 3-hr long dinners), or the room steward, the service level was a big disappointment.
• pools as small as DCL. pool deck was DCL-level crazy on sea days

One thing I don't like about both RCCL & NCL is that the kids clubs have sessions (closing from noon-2pm and then again from 5-7pm), where DCL is open continuously throughout the day.

 

[Dug720]

Just as a point, not everyone who most is comfortable with having the same servers every night wants that because we think we are going to become BFFs. There is a lot of comfort for those of us with food allergies in knowing that we are dealing with the same people every night.

I have done My Time with RCCL and was able to get the same table and servers every night - but that required making a reservation for the same time every night - which is not a big deal for me. (I don't understand people's fear of reservations personally, TBH.) Knowing that the service team knew me and my food needs was great and I was just as comfortable as in DCL.

While I loved my experience on fathom over Christmas - and am actually doing it again in 2.5 weeks - I am NOT a fan of their "we just fill the tables as you come" method. Not only does that give you different people every night (in theory - I kept getting stuck with a couple where the wife makes some of those "craziest tablemates" stories seem mild), you have a different service team pretty much every night. Yes, my order was taken the night before, but the only interest the server the next night has is getting the cabin number to grab a covered plate. I'm opting for the buffet this upcoming cruise just because that way I know I have control over what I am eating - and it is slow enough in there that cross-contamination is not a big issue and if I am concerned it is not a big deal for them to make me a clean plate.

So no. Freestyle would NOT work for me to feel comfortable on a cruise - and I WANT to feel comfortable when I am on a cruise, not be stressing about "is this server who has not seen me before on this ship and probably will not again going to really care that my food is safe??".

 

[SunnyDhappy]

Do you have kids? I'm wondering what msc is like for teens. I have a very active teen boy. He likes the clubs, rock walls, rope courses etc.

We have two kids 10 and 13. MSC does not have all those listed activities which are found on RCCL, Carnival and NCL ships. MSC is suppose to have good children activities like Master Chef classes and arts and crafts and kids magic shows all of which my children are looking forward too. MSC has lots of pool but the ship is not target towards families.

 

[kaseyC]

We have two kids 10 and 13. MSC does not have all those listed activities which are found on RCCL, Carnival and NCL ships. MSC is suppose to have good children activities like Master Chef classes and arts and crafts and kids magic shows all of which my children are looking forward too. MSC has lots of pool but the ship is not target towards families.

Maybe the older ships of MSC does not target families but the new ships certainly do. The Seaside which starts sailing from Miami will have many amenities that appeal to families as well as cabin configurations for larger families.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Ships/Our-Fleet/MSC-Seaside.aspx

 

[mevelandry]

Just as a point, not everyone who most is comfortable with having the same servers every night wants that because we think we are going to become BFFs. There is a lot of comfort for those of us with food allergies in knowing that we are dealing with the same people every night.

I have done My Time with RCCL and was able to get the same table and servers every night - but that required making a reservation for the same time every night - which is not a big deal for me. (I don't understand people's fear of reservations personally, TBH.) Knowing that the service team knew me and my food needs was great and I was just as comfortable as in DCL.

While I loved my experience on fathom over Christmas - and am actually doing it again in 2.5 weeks - I am NOT a fan of their "we just fill the tables as you come" method. Not only does that give you different people every night (in theory - I kept getting stuck with a couple where the wife makes some of those "craziest tablemates" stories seem mild), you have a different service team pretty much every night. Yes, my order was taken the night before, but the only interest the server the next night has is getting the cabin number to grab a covered plate. I'm opting for the buffet this upcoming cruise just because that way I know I have control over what I am eating - and it is slow enough in there that cross-contamination is not a big issue and if I am concerned it is not a big deal for them to make me a clean plate.

So no. Freestyle would NOT work for me to feel comfortable on a cruise - and I WANT to feel comfortable when I am on a cruise, not be stressing about "is this server who has not seen me before on this ship and probably will not again going to really care that my food is safe??".

Is cross-contamination a recurrent problem during cruises?