Just Back...and I really wanted to drink the DCL Kool-Aid

[Sytrace]

We only cruised Disney for a few years when the kids were little (three cruises in five years) and the kids clubs were a big part of our choice. We looked at the decor and the activities and assumed that no one could possibly do kids programming better than Disney. Then we got totally priced out for spring 2016 and decided to go with Norwegian with a 6 and 7 year old. Then we used up our on board booking discount to do a quick cruise last month. So we had two cruises in six months to compare. The kids verdict really surprised us: Norwegian all the way! We thought the kids clubs on NCL didn't look nearly as exciting, but my kids both said Disney was "boring" in comparison. Go figure! They also mentioned all the extras such as the climbing wall, rope course, mini golf, bungy trampoline, water park with multiple slides and all day buffet with sundae bar. Even as we stepped off the ship last month they said it was fun, but next time they wanted the other ship. The only thing they liked better on Disney was the shows. So if you haven't tried other lines, don't make the mistake we did and assume your kids will like Disney best. (My kids still adore the parks). We could have saved a lot of money over the years!

I wish I could get my husband and kids (13 and 14) to try another line just for comparison sake, but they are hooked on Disney.
I took my kids and Mom on a Carnival cruise a few years back on an older ship and found it to be lackluster in all areas. My husband booked the first Disney cruise as a surprise in November 2013 and now we have 8 cruises under our belt with Disney and 2 more happening in 3 weeks. I would like to try the new Carnival Vista and a Royal Caribbean in the next year or so, but we already have a couple more planned for Disney in 2017.

 

[RedSox68]

Going on a Carnival cruise in 5 weeks. I like your comments.

We really liked Carnival. We did a 5-night on the Glory to Canada and thought the ship was gorgeous, our ocean view room was huge and had wonderful decor, the staff was awesome and the food was very good. Plus their free alternate dining (like Guy's Burgers and the Blue Iguana) are amazing. I'd take Carnival again in a heartbeat. Plus you cannot beat the prices, sales and incentives.

 

[Ofinn]

I wish I could get my husband and kids (13 and 14) to try another line just for comparison sake, but they are hooked on Disney.
I took my kids and Mom on a Carnival cruise a few years back on an older ship and found it to be lackluster in all areas. My husband booked the first Disney cruise as a surprise in November 2013 and now we have 8 cruises under our belt with Disney and 2 more happening in 3 weeks. I would like to try the new Carnival Vista and a Royal Caribbean in the next year or so, but we already have a couple more planned for Disney in 2017.

If it wasn't for the fact that we want to go to different ports and countries. I would probably have a hard time convincing my kids to try something new. My oldest will look at different itinerary's and prices on all the cruise lines. Even someone who knows very little about the cost of things is shocked at DCL prices in Europe.

 

[mmouse37]

We have been on Carnival, Princess, RCCL and Norwegian and just like DCL more. Had a good time on all of them and they are all good in their own right, but I have a passion for DCL. Maybe its because our first cruise ever was on the DCL's first cruise...the Maiden Voyage of the Magic back on July 30, 1998. I knew I would love cruising but when I got onboard I was hooked...and that was before it was as great as it is now. In the beginning there was no real planned activities, no cruise director, very little entertainment but I knew it had potential!!! Before DCL we were a hard-core WDW family.

Our kids were young and in the kids clubs when we started with DCL (went through all of them over the years). They are all adults now with two out of the three with babies (12 months) of their own. We had such a great cruise on the Fantasy as we had the whole family together and the babies really liked DCL!!! Grandma is making sure they drink the kool-aid as well!!! LOL But seriously, I was so happy seeing the experience through the new generation's eyes.

And I am not looking through rose colored glasses...I know DCL is not perfect, I know the ships need some work, I know you can get good service on other ships, I know they are super expensive...but I still love it.



MJ

 

[TiggerBouncy]

DCL may not be right for you. I have sailed on NCL, RCL, DCL and Carnival.

In my experience (and this is NOT true for everyone... Just for me), the level of service I get on DCL is generally better than other lines. My waiters always go the extra mile for me. For example, I LOVE my dinner rolls. DCL tends to give you different kinds of rolls every night. However, my waiter would go find me the ones I like and bring them every night - without my asking. Every person on that ship takes a personal interest in making sure you are having a good time and fixing it if you are not - even if it's "not their department".

The biggest thing I like about DCL though is the pride they take in their ships. The last RCL cruise we were on, the carpet was old... very old... It didn't look like something I would walk on bare feet on in my house. There were rust signs on the ship - usually not all over, but they were there. Paint was chipped. I contrast that to Disney where I have caught maintenance crews sneaking across the ship at 2am with a new railing like rats stealing a television in the dead of the night. DCL just tolerates nothing being old or looking less than perfect and it generally shows.

In short, I have had good cruises on other lines. But I have had bad cruises as well. i never know what I am going to get. I know that Disney won't tolerate a bad cruise. Consistency is what I pay for.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

If it wasn't for the fact that we want to go to different ports and countries. I would probably have a hard time convincing my kids to try something new. My oldest will look at different itinerary's and prices on all the cruise lines. Even someone who knows very little about the cost of things is shocked at DCL prices in Europe.

Some of the European cruises are quite expensive, but Norway and even Northern Europe earlier in the season seem pretty reasonable, or at least on par with (or even less than) what a 7-night DCL cruise would cost in the Caribbean at the same time.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

DCL may not be right for you. I have sailed on NCL, RCL, DCL and Carnival.

In my experience (and this is NOT true for everyone... Just for me), the level of service I get on DCL is generally better than other lines. My waiters always go the extra mile for me. For example, I LOVE my dinner rolls. DCL tends to give you different kinds of rolls every night. However, my waiter would go find me the ones I like and bring them every night - without my asking. Every person on that ship takes a personal interest in making sure you are having a good time and fixing it if you are not - even if it's "not their department".

The biggest thing I like about DCL though is the pride they take in their ships. The last RCL cruise we were on, the carpet was old... very old... It didn't look like something I would walk on bare feet on in my house. There were rust signs on the ship - usually not all over, but they were there. Paint was chipped. I contrast that to Disney where I have caught maintenance crews sneaking across the ship at 2am with a new railing like rats stealing a television in the dead of the night. DCL just tolerates nothing being old or looking less than perfect and it generally shows.

In short, I have had good cruises on other lines. But I have had bad cruises as well. i never know what I am going to get. I know that Disney won't tolerate a bad cruise. Consistency is what I pay for.

We just got off the Carnival Pride where I took my brother, sister-in-law, niece, 2 nephews and my parents. My niece only eats whole wheat bread/buns; the second night there were none in the bread basket. We asked for some and it took a few minutes but our server came out with a plate of warm whole wheat buns (no idea where he got them since they weren't serving them in the dining room or buffet that night). Each subsequent night, there was a plate of whole wheat buns by my nieces seat.

And I have had not-so-great cruises on DCL. That's my biggest "complaint" - I haven't had consistency between cruises with service (dining room or room stewards). My parents had only sailed DCL when we had a not-so-great cruise on the Disney Dream; it's what spurred them to try Carnival (I had sailed with them 3 times before). Now we sail multiple lines and enjoy the differences in each one.

I find it funny (ironic funny - not haha funny) that people don't notice rust and dirty carpets on DCL. It is out there. We sailed the Disney Magic in 2010 just shortly after it's dry dock. One of the first things I noticed in the adult pool that there was multiple rust spots all around the edge of the pool (right at eye level when you're bobbing in the water) even after the refurb. When I came back and noted that, I was told that I was being too picky and that other people are having too much fun on their cruise to notice such minor issues. I guess I'm having too much fun on Carnival, Royal and Celebrity to notice their carpets and rust points.

 

[tinkerone]

In short, I have had good cruises on other lines. But I have had bad cruises as well. i never know what I am going to get. I know that Disney won't tolerate a bad cruise. Consistency is what I pay for.

I don't know about that, its a big statement. I had one cruise with DCL that was less than lack luster. We chalked it up to the fact it was the Fantasys second sailing and they were still trying to find their way, but we paid the same amount of money that we would have if it had been six months later and they were organized. It wasn't a friendly cruise. Far from it.
I'm glad you have never had a less than stellar time. DCL does offer a great cruise but I would not go so far as to say they won't tolerate a bad one. It happens.

 

[Ofinn]

Some of the European cruises are quite expensive, but Norway and even Northern Europe earlier in the season seem pretty reasonable, or at least on par with (or even less than) what a 7-night DCL cruise would cost in the Caribbean at the same time.

Yes but those are 7 night cruises. Although they my be reasonable by some people standards they are still quite a bit higher than other lines. Dcls carribean cruises those months are outrageous so I dont consider that to be a good comparison. The Magic's 10 day Baltic is 11k more than NCl Getaway's 9 day Baltic. Its hard to justify that kind of price difference. I Honestly dont think Dcl is going to be able to sell this.
The level of service you get on dcl may exceed other cruise line, but it comes at a big cost. At this point in time we're not as interested in the cruise experience as we are in the ports. Now that my kids arent into Disney I have found myself getting a little bored on the ships. I have nothing to compare it to at this point. Ill have a better idea after I try a few other cruise lines I may come back and decide DCL is worth the extra money or I may wonder why I spent so much money in the past.

 

[Anna Chassereau]

We only cruised Disney for a few years when the kids were little (three cruises in five years) and the kids clubs were a big part of our choice. We looked at the decor and the activities and assumed that no one could possibly do kids programming better than Disney. Then we got totally priced out for spring 2016 and decided to go with Norwegian with a 6 and 7 year old. Then we used up our on board booking discount to do a quick cruise last month. So we had two cruises in six months to compare. The kids verdict really surprised us: Norwegian all the way! We thought the kids clubs on NCL didn't look nearly as exciting, but my kids both said Disney was "boring" in comparison. Go figure! They also mentioned all the extras such as the climbing wall, rope course, mini golf, bungy trampoline, water park with multiple slides and all day buffet with sundae bar. Even as we stepped off the ship last month they said it was fun, but next time they wanted the other ship. The only thing they liked better on Disney was the shows. So if you haven't tried other lines, don't make the mistake we did and assume your kids will like Disney best. (My kids still adore the parks). We could have saved a lot of money over the years!

Oh that's so good to hear!! Yes we are definitely open to trying another line with him! I've got to admit we're doing DCL again for this next cruise as much for my husband as we are for our son lol We're huge Disney fans and loved seeing the characters on board and the shows!! We're thinking of taking our son on a Mediterranean cruise summer 2019 when he's 8 and I'm definitely going to do a different cruise line as DCL is just through the roof with their European prices. I'm thinking we'll either go with RCCL or Norweigan so that's so good to know the kids clubs are awesome!

 

[Churchladychurchlady]

I'm "drinking the Kool-Aid" as many call it. But then, I'm an "all in" person.

Each of my two careers, I was fully consumed with the passion I had for what I was doing, I guess I'm the same in most things... I LOVE Disney. As a young adult I worked as a CM at the Disney store (not recommended for Mouse enthusiasts, as I didn't get much of a paycheck coming in after buying up half the store with my CM discount).

Our first visit to WDW was an amazing experience for the three of us. We're staying at CR, this vacay because it's a bucket list trip, and well - it's my dream. Hubby and I chose DCL as part of this Dream Trip because I've been on Princess (very nice, but didn't like the casinos or bars everywhere) and Norwegian (same thing as Princess, but add more adult themed shows and language (We're weird, I know but,to each his own ) Hubby had been on a different Norwegian cruise and thought it enjoyable, but not as "G-rated" as he would prefer.
My cousins (party girls) all love RCCL and especially Carnival - so I know those are two lines that would not be on my list, as my cousins and I are polar opposites.

So, yeah, I'm a Kool-Aid drinker but I won't fault anyone for what they prefer, and I hope people will forgive me if I believe in fairies and pixie dust and want just a little bit of that in my life and my family's life as my DD moves into adulthood. I hope that this will give her a few really good memories and that the magic will remind her to have fun and balance as she sets on her quest to cure cancer.

 

[Sytrace]

I'm "drinking the Kool-Aid" as many call it. But then, I'm an "all in" person.

Each of my two careers, I was fully consumed with the passion I had for what I was doing, I guess I'm the same in most things... I LOVE Disney. As a young adult I worked as a CM at the Disney store (not recommended for Mouse enthusiasts, as I didn't get much of a paycheck coming in after buying up half the store with my CM discount).

I was a manager for Disney Store for 10 years and I probably didn't bring home that much of a paycheck either. lol I lacked control when it came to sericels and snowglobes. And the Classics collections, and those crazy beanie babies. I hear what you are saying about the Disney love though.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I was a manager for Disney Store for 10 years and I probably didn't bring home that much of a paycheck either. lol I lacked control when it came to sericels and snowglobes. And the Classics collections, and those crazy beanie babies. I hear what you are saying about the Disney love though.

You need a kool aid refill my friend! Ty has beanie babies, Disney has mini bean bag plush

DCL may not be right for you. I have sailed on NCL, RCL, DCL and Carnival.

In my experience (and this is NOT true for everyone... Just for me), the level of service I get on DCL is generally better than other lines. My waiters always go the extra mile for me. For example, I LOVE my dinner rolls. DCL tends to give you different kinds of rolls every night. However, my waiter would go find me the ones I like and bring them every night - without my asking. Every person on that ship takes a personal interest in making sure you are having a good time and fixing it if you are not - even if it's "not their department".

The biggest thing I like about DCL though is the pride they take in their ships. The last RCL cruise we were on, the carpet was old... very old... It didn't look like something I would walk on bare feet on in my house. There were rust signs on the ship - usually not all over, but they were there. Paint was chipped. I contrast that to Disney where I have caught maintenance crews sneaking across the ship at 2am with a new railing like rats stealing a television in the dead of the night. DCL just tolerates nothing being old or looking less than perfect and it generally shows.

In short, I have had good cruises on other lines. But I have had bad cruises as well. i never know what I am going to get. I know that Disney won't tolerate a bad cruise. Consistency is what I pay for.

You're quite lucky you weren't on the same Wonder cruise I was on, our verandah had plenty of rust, bathroom had cracked tiles and many CM's that were none too friendly. That was by far the worst of our 4 DCL cruises, if it had been our 1st and not our 4th, I highly doubt there would have been a 2nd. As a lifelong mouse fan and former CM I've certainly had my share of kool aid and love DCL but they do "tolerate bad cruises," you just haven't experienced one yet.

 

[disneyholic family]

Also, a note towards RC...we sailed the Liberty of the Seas and it is an amazing ship. Alot of the benefits of Allure/Oasis but a tad smaller (not much) and sailing out of Galveston you can find some really good deals. Here is a little video I made from out February trip if interested.

you have an adorable family! thanks for sharing the video....
we also love royal and rate it on par with DCL in every aspect except the theater shows...
really, some of royal's shows are almost cringe-worthy, though they make up for it on their big ships with the water and ice shows...
but other than the evening shows, royal is great...but so is DCL...
i'm more than happy to cruise either one...

Not sure why anyone else's reasons as to why they love DCL would help u. If you didn't love, you didn't love. To each his own. We've done concierge every DCL we have done and it is fantastic! We love the dinner that isn't rushed in MDR, have done all the Palo and Remy meals without hair in the food and have loved every minute, except the facial at thespa which was ridiculously proced and ws modest at best (one and only mistake for ME). Perhaps try a diff line and then compare and choose what works best for your family?

right!! that's why there are different cruise lines...something for everyone...
everyone has something different that floats their boat so to speak!

 

[mevelandry]

We really liked Carnival. We did a 5-night on the Glory to Canada and thought the ship was gorgeous, our ocean view room was huge and had wonderful decor, the staff was awesome and the food was very good. Plus their free alternate dining (like Guy's Burgers and the Blue Iguana) are amazing. I'd take Carnival again in a heartbeat. Plus you cannot beat the prices, sales and incentives.

Unfortunately no Fun 2.0 for us: we'll sail on the Victory. It has not been upgraded yet. I am aware that it's an old ship in need of repair. At this time they are refurbishing staterooms. The chances of having a brand new room in October are about 50-50% not counting on it too much. But as long as it is clean, with the money we saved we have been able to add so many little extras here and there... (Towels, games, candy, chocolates, money for drinks/specialty coffee and bottles of wine...)... It's unbelievable.

 

[RedSox68]

Unfortunately no Fun 2.0 for us: we'll sail on the Victory. It has not been upgraded yet. I am aware that it's an old ship in need of repair. At this time they are refurbishing staterooms. The chances of having a brand new room in October are about 50-50% not counting on it too much. But as long as it is clean, with the money we saved we have been able to add so many little extras here and there... (Towels, games, candy, chocolates, money for drinks/specialty coffee and bottles of wine...)... It's unbelievable.

There is a lot to be said for walking away from a cruise not feeling like you are in debt

 

[Sytrace]

You need a kool aid refill my friend! Ty has beanie babies, Disney has mini bean bag plush
QUOTE]

Ah yes... it has been a long time since I "retired" to raise kids (14 years now) and indeed, they were Mini Bean Bag Plush. I have a few of those lying around, but my offspring sort of ruined the majority of them.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I find it funny (ironic funny - not haha funny) that people don't notice rust and dirty carpets on DCL. It is out there. We sailed the Disney Magic in 2010 just shortly after it's dry dock. One of the first things I noticed in the adult pool that there was multiple rust spots all around the edge of the pool (right at eye level when you're bobbing in the water) even after the refurb. When I came back and noted that, I was told that I was being too picky and that other people are having too much fun on their cruise to notice such minor issues. I guess I'm having too much fun on Carnival, Royal and Celebrity to notice their carpets and rust points.

I'm a huge DCL fan and looking forward to my first Platinum sailing early next year, but I have to agree with this! You're not the only one who notices, so I understand.

On our first cruise on the Magic earlier this year, I was put off by the condition of the ship, particularly since it was refurbished not that long ago. There was definitely rust and chipping paint in the adult pool area (check the hot tubs, in particular). There were huge brown stains all over our stateroom carpet (like someone poured out their sodas on the carpet?), chipped tiles in the bathroom, the tv bracket was broken so the tv didn't stay upright to view, and badly scratched paint on the backs of the doors. Lots of rust on our verandah, as well, and the deck chairs were really dirty (do they ever clean the bird poo off?). When we brought these things to their attention, a ship's officer came to inspect the room on the second day of our 3 night trip. While courteous, he didn't seem too concerned about any of it and said that some people weren't bothered by those types of things, while others were. (Ummm...So does that mean this condition is OK???) We weren't asking for a refund or credit at all, just wanting them to be aware that the room needed serious attention.

That trip on the Magic was also the first time I've ever encountered a rude castmember. She sent me and another guest who was looking for the same beverage to the opposite end of the boat, where we found that bar was closed. When we returned and told her that it was closed - just as an FYI, not because we were upset - she got snitty and said she never told us to go there! What?!?! THEN I was upset.

Needless to say my husband and I are NO fans of the Magic since then and will avoid it in the future (though yes, we are sailing it again in February only so my daughter can see "Tangled" - it's a graduation gift and she chose it). I love the Fantasy and the Dream, but have never had extensive noise issues that others mention so I can't speak to that. I haven't sailed on the Wonder for a few years but never had any issues at all. I am starting to seriously look at RC, only because DCL is really starting to price us out and we'd like to try some new itineraries - we can't afford DCLs Alaskan, European, or Mediterranean trips, though we'd love to if DCL could make them more price-competitive with other lines.

 

[cgolf]

I find it funny (ironic funny - not haha funny) that people don't notice rust and dirty carpets on DCL. It is out there. We sailed the Disney Magic in 2010 just shortly after it's dry dock. One of the first things I noticed in the adult pool that there was multiple rust spots all around the edge of the pool (right at eye level when you're bobbing in the water) even after the refurb. When I came back and noted that, I was told that I was being too picky and that other people are having too much fun on their cruise to notice such minor issues. I guess I'm having too much fun on Carnival, Royal and Celebrity to notice their carpets and rust points.

I was probably one of them, but from the standpoint of who cares, it is an older ship and she will show her age. When we go on the freedom of the seas next year, we aren't going to be comparing how rusty or dirty it is to DCL unless it is just atrocious. Also at the time some were going overboard and implying DCL should have had even a longer drydock for the Magic and possibly sold her off, it got crazy. We were on the 3rd cruise out of dry dock and found her in solid but not perfect condition. Heck our concierge cabin on the Fantasy in 2014, the bathroom door handle was very messed up, but we just rolled with it, same with the Magic, the rust, etc adds character

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I find it funny (ironic funny - not haha funny) that people don't notice rust and dirty carpets on DCL. It is out there. We sailed the Disney Magic in 2010 just shortly after it's dry dock. One of the first things I noticed in the adult pool that there was multiple rust spots all around the edge of the pool (right at eye level when you're bobbing in the water) even after the refurb. When I came back and noted that, I was told that I was being too picky and that other people are having too much fun on their cruise to notice such minor issues. I guess I'm having too much fun on Carnival, Royal and Celebrity to notice their carpets and rust points.

I don't know about that, its a big statement. I had one cruise with DCL that was less than lack luster. We chalked it up to the fact it was the Fantasys second sailing and they were still trying to find their way, but we paid the same amount of money that we would have if it had been six months later and they were organized. It wasn't a friendly cruise. Far from it.
I'm glad you have never had a less than stellar time. DCL does offer a great cruise but I would not go so far as to say they won't tolerate a bad one. It happens.

You're quite lucky you weren't on the same Wonder cruise I was on, our verandah had plenty of rust, bathroom had cracked tiles and many CM's that were none too friendly. That was by far the worst of our 4 DCL cruises, if it had been our 1st and not our 4th, I highly doubt there would have been a 2nd. As a lifelong mouse fan and former CM I've certainly had my share of kool aid and love DCL but they do "tolerate bad cruises," you just haven't experienced one yet.

This is why I prefaced my comment with:

In my experience (and this is NOT true for everyone... Just for me)

I have read people who have said carnival is the best thing since sliced bread. And DCL is the worst. And I have read the opposite. As I said, I have experienced good and bad cruises on most lines. I have not IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE yet had a bad DCL cruise that Disney didn't try to do the right thing to make up for it.

i can only base what I say on what I have experienced, not what I have read from others. this is largely because I find that perception is 90% of observation. I was not on your cruise and didn't see what you saw. I do know having traveled with many people that 2 different people can see the same thing and walk away with entirely different opinions of it. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I only advise on mine. Just like I am sure your opinions are biased on what you perceive, so are mine. All opinions (mine too!) should be taken with that context in mind.

Which is what makes these threads so difficult. A reader will never get a true picture of what their cruise would be like because everyone who posts does so from their personal experiences which are mired in lines of perception largely dictated and guided by moods, behaviors, experiences and hundreds of other factors of the posters who answer.

However, the OP did specifically ask why *I* choose to go on DCL. I.E. My opinion based on my experience. Which is what I gave.