Is it worth it?

[Rich M]

You have asked a very good question that will no doubt touch some nerves. Please keep in mind that this is a Disney site and that by definition this is a pro-Disney crowd.

Thank you. I totally agree. That's why I wanted the view of the Disney Crowd because I am usually in the crowd when it comes to everything Disney.

 

[Rich M]

The party level on Carnival really depends on the ship and the itinerary. They're almost two different lines now. They have their booze cruises but then they also have things like the Vista and the Havana Cabanas that are much more upscale and sedate.

What would Liberty be?

 

[mevelandry]

What would Liberty be?

It's an older ship BUT it's a fun ship 2.0 (with Guy's Burger, Blue Iguana, etc.)... It took the place of the Victory (which I loved, even before they made her a fun ship 2.0 and refurbished her) ... I haven't tried her but based on the videos I've seen and my experience of the fun ship 2.0 concept... I think it's a nice value for the price.

 

[fredandkell]

I know its hard to be hypothetical on this but if you had not done Disney before would you have been happy on Royal?

Ooh, good question! Well, you can see from my signature below I had been on Carnival, Royal, and Norwegian before I did Disney. Those trips were all pre-kids and I had a good time on all of them. The first cruise I took with kids was Disney Dream and it was amazing. Disney really is a whole other level of cruise ship, even for adults. That being said, the ships I went on before Disney weren't as new or shiny - they were all kind of middle of the road. I have never done a "brand new ship" on another line (I will next February on Norwegian though). So I can't answer your question because I am not comparing apples to apples myself.

I do have a friend who swears by the newer Carnival and RCL ships though. Also my brother-in-law who has done Disney twice with us (he had no kids and was single in his 30s) did Royal's new ship, the Allure I think? And he really liked it but he's booked Disney again this fall.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

I think the value totally depends on what’s important to you in a vacation. I have two small kids (1.5 and 4) so what we value is much different than two adults cruising alone. Last month we did our first Disney cruise and loved it. I was hyped over it I thought about trying to book another cruise around Christmas whe we’ll be visiting my parents in Orlando. And because of the cost I looked into the other lines.

But after lots of research I couldn’t find anything with rooms that worked for our family as well as Disney’s did. I don’t really want my kids in a different room, even if it’s connecting, and I wasn’t able to find any kind of family suite that was any better deal than the verandah room we had on Disney. Since my kids are young the room is super important. A good setup (like the bunks and privacy curtain on Disney) means we all get more sleep. And we spend a fair amount of time in the room because they still nap for a few hours in the afternoon. So I don’t really want to be stuck in a sardine can from the 90s with my kids in bunks that are literally over my face.

Everything else about DCL being kid friendly was a huge plus, but ultimately not a must have. It was great having a family atmosphere, little to no smoking, no casinos, dinner in restaurants where my screaming kid wasn’t a big deal, etc. But for our family the room can make or break the trip and there’s huge value to us in paying for sleeping arrangements we can live with. I don’t care if a cruise is free, I couldn’t deal with sleeping arrangements like in the picture.

 

[motherof5]

"Worth" is subjective, but, when it comes to the "family-friendly" cruise lines, DCL has been worth it for us. We've sailed on NCL three times and DCL 6 times. Yes, NCL was cheaper, but it was also tackier, IMHO. Lots of upselling, not a lot of kid activities other than the kids club, (which wasn't great) and subpar customer service. On DCL, there is always something going on that I can do with DS or he can go to the kids club (which is spectacular), plus I found the food to be better and the overall ambience of the ship. On NCL, on one of our sail-aways, we were next to an extended family with two of the dads wearing "Drunk 1" and "Drunk 2" t-shirts. That's something you most likely won't see on a DCL ship.

That being said, now that DS is 10, we've expanded our cruise line searches to include Celebrity, Lindblad Expeditions and we sailed on the Paul Gauguin last year because DS doesn't really need a gigantic kids club to entertain him anymore. These aren't cheap lines by any stretch of the imagination, but (except for Lindblad), we will get a bigger bang for our buck on those lines for the same cost (bigger stateroom, more included amenities).

But in terms of RCCL, NCL, DCL and Carnival (which I would consider being in the same category of "family-friendly" lines, at this point, we sail DCL or we don't sail.

I agree my experience with NCL (kids sail free) turned me off to cruises, ship was dirty, room had previous people's papers under the bed and dirty sheets. Food subpar. I lost weight on a cruise and not half the activities as DCL. I only went because of the cost and can't justify paying DCL prices as a family of 7 so will just enjoy the parks for now. With that being said I would say go with the best experience or don't go. Once you have a bad experience you won't want to go again.

 

[Ravenne]

Do they offer and land and sea packages to go to Disney World and a Cruise?

Itineraries that sail out of NYC has WDW as an excursion, but it's just one day, 2 tops. They do market land & sea packages but in my experience, it's much better to book them separately. When we did land/sea and had DCL book our night before cruise WDW resort stay. They didn't know their top end from bottom end. It was not a seamless process, and their computer systems do not work nicely together. WDW couldn't control the land part of it because DCL was considered the TA, and DCL couldn't access WDW's systems because they are separate things. It was frustrating and way more complicated than it should have been. Last I recall, they don't offer land/sea package discounts, so there's no point in doing it together. Book them separately.

 

[arlopop]

It’s strange. For years I scoffed at cruises. I thought the idea of going from one port to another to be scurried around for the day and then reboarding to go to another port and do it all again felt pointless. I had travelled in my 20s extensively, close to the ground, backpack on my back, barely an intinerary, for months at a time. I found it immersive and satisfying. Cruising was the opposite of that for me.
But...
I married, settled down, and had kids. As a gift to my family I offered up a Disney Cruise 7 years ago. I saw it as a happy-maker for them, but discovered I enjoyed myself as well. We have continued with DCL since. Interestingly none of us see it as “travel”, but instead we view it as a “vacation.” When we want to travel we do, much as I did back when. We immerse ourselves in other places, cultures, peoples, but that’s different than cruising. Cruising for us is about relaxing - playing in the pool, taking in a movie, not cooking, being together. In fact we rarely get off the boat for excursions. We get on the boat to be ON the boat. Disney feels relaxing and welcoming.

All this is a long way of saying we choose Disney because we want what they specifically offer. If there wasn’t a DCL I can’t imagine us ever cruising at all. We honestly have no desire to cruise in general, but we enjoy the atmosphere and detail of Disney - this just happens to be on a boat.

So, is it worth the premium? For us, it is.

 

[bbn1122]

Our first cruise was on an older Carnival ship. It was nice. But what I didn’t like was the Casino. Th shows were really good. The food was good.

What that first cruise did was got us interested in cruising. We had looked at Disney a few times, but when we wanted to go over Easter was very pricey so we held off. Then we did the first cruise, so we started looking at Disney again. We have always like Disney’s service and the family atmosphere. At this time we had been to Disney twice as a family.

Well, the stars aligned and I received a email out of the blue for Kids cruise Free. We check the dates and the last week that was eligible was Easter week 2010. We booked a Family Verrandah Western Caribbean for 7nights. Now, the cruise was still over $8000 for 2 adults and 3 children but before the Kids Cruise Free it was going to be $13800 for Easter Week.

We booked it and had the most amazing vacation. The Disney Magic was beautiful. The service was incredible. We never looked back. We cruised again the following year. This time 3 night Bahamas, 2 inside staterooms on the Disney Dream. The cost was less the $2300 for the 5 of us.

Then 2014 we cruised once again but this time in Concierge! Because we were cruising at the end of August the price was incredible, less than $3300 for all 5 of us in a Concierge Family Stateroom. Well, we were floored by the service and amenities of Concierge. We even got a Cabana on Castaway Cay. We wish we could cruise Concierge every cruise.

DH and I have also taken a couple of cruises with our sons. NYC to Nowhere, 2 nights inside stateroom for $1050. Then this past October, NYC to Canada, 4 nights for $2200 Ocean view, but we were upgrade to Deck 8 Family Verrandah for free.

Our next cruise is once again, DH and me this October, 5 nights to Bermuda for $3300 Verrandah.

The service is impeccable on a Disney Cruis, the ship is so elegant, the rotational dining is so fun and there is plenty of adult only areas. We absolutely love Castaway Cay. We do not gamble, we do not drink a lot, but we do like to relax and have fun. The reason I spelled out all our cruises is the cost of the cruise depends on when you go and how many people. Also, of course what type of stateroom. Most of cruises have been pretty reasonable. We have not been able to afford a 7 night for the 5 of us, but soon. We are DVC members so, we love doing shorter cruise tack on to a DVC trip. Or out of NYC since we live in NJ. We have looked at other cruise lines but we get nervous about what if the service is not like Disney! From talking to CM everyone in the industry seems to want work for DCL.

Disney does cost more, but there are no casinos and they do not have many ships, so supply and demand. DCL is planning on 3 more ships, so maybe things will change regarding Price.

Only you will know after reading thru these boards and doing some research if DCL is for you. We know DCL will always be for us!

Happy cruising!

 

[MelSpees]

It seems like most people go with Disney because of there children so if your 2 adults would you be going with a different one?

We are two adults and have never sailed with children. We like Disney because of the overall atmosphere. We like the family friendly feeling everywhere, even in the adult areas. We don't like smelling cigarette smoke or being around tipsy drinkers and enjoy the activities they offer. At this point, though it is expensive, Disney gives us what we like.

 

[Shanti]

It seems like most people go with Disney because of there children so if your 2 adults would you be going with a different one?

I always cruise with my son, but would love to do an adult-only cruise to Castaway Cay someday. DCL has an adult only pool, adult-only hot tub, adult-only lounging area, an adult-only beach at Castaway Cay, and more.

 

[KashasMom]

Is what you get worth that cost?

Now, if we remove all the Disney and just look at the cruising part: DH and I find that other cruise lines offer a better value (Better food, entertainment more to our taste and staff was just as nice & just as efficient and much more choices in itineraries)

I don't think you would regret trying them at least once.

THIS!!

 

[KashasMom]

You have asked a very good question that will no doubt touch some nerves. Please keep in mind that this is a Disney site and that by definition this is a pro-Disney crowd. Further, there are a few that take great offense to any criticism of DCL. Finally, beware of advice from anyone who has not cruised on another line (they will have you believe that other cruises are littered with drunks, chain smokers and degenerate gamblers.)

The threshold question is whether you (and your travel companions) value Disney. Are characters, Disney theming, Disney decor and Disney shows important to you? DCL puts on a very good cruise, but the difference between DCL and some other cruises is the Disney product. If the answer to this question is no you are likely better off on another line (however even if Disney theming is not your thing you may have young children and DCL, in my experience is the best line for young children.)

If the answer to that question is yes then you should continue to explore DCL. At this point you need to answer several questions:
- Who is traveling? Adults only? Young children? Teens? In my opinion DCL trails some others for adults only or adults with teens.
-How long do you wish to cruise? DCL's 3 and 4 day cruises are generally better than other lines as other lines tend to use older ships.
-What itinerary do you want? DCL has limited itineraries.
-What is your budget? This is a big one. Whether you are a Disney fan or not DCL prices are so out of whack that many have decided that even though DCL is their favorite they are willing to forego DCL for another line.
-What are you willing to compromise? Are you willing to cram into an interior cabin on a 4 or 5 day cruise or pay the same for a better room on a longer cruise?
- What else is out there? There are many options.

There are some great ships with great experiences out there (I try to compare ships and not lines as many lines have a larger fleet with an array of ships - old and new.) I would suggest that you focus on the newer ships. In general, I have found that DCL excels with young children, RCCL with teens (Oasis class and their newer ships), and Princess for adults (Regal and Royal.) I have not sailed Celebrity and only once on NCL years ago. Because DCL theming is not important to me, I have found other ships/cruises to be better than DCL - this includes service, food (DCL is poor in this area), entertainment, ship quality, itinerary - for far less money.

In the end you have to decide whether the DCL theming is important enough to pay the significant premium. I do not believe that it is but others will disagree.

THIS!! The theming WAS important when daughter was younger. Now she's moved on to enjoying more activities on a cruise. RCI Oasis class are her (and my) favorite ships.