Major Differences: Disney vs RCCL

[woody73]

Some say RCI is cheaper but for every RCI cruise we have taken, the cost has been extremely close what we pay on DCL....sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less (but nothing noteworthy)

We like both DCL (platinum) and RCCL (diamond).

We have sailed on RCCL on itineraries not offered by DCL, such as South America (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Ushuaia, Argentina -- to walk among the penguins; Valparaiso, Chile; Lima, Peru; Puntarenas, Costa Rica) and the Eastern Med (Athens, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Cairo, Egypt). So I can't compare those prices with DCL.

But I can compare prices where DCL has sailed.

In 2010, we went on the Disney Magic EBTA and WBTA. For two adults, we paid $1,498 pp including tax for the EB, and $1,665 pp for the WB, both in a Cat. 9 oceanview cabin. We booked the first day, and transferred onboard bookings for the Castaway Club discount. Both times we received the CC OBC, which I recall was $200 per cabin.

For 2011, we booked an EBTA and WBTA with RCCL on Voyager Class ships. They have five ships in this class: Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager of the Seas.

For two adults, we paid $869 pp including tax for the EB, and $935 pp for the WB. We will have a Cat. E2 balcony cabin on both cruises, and will receive $200 OBC for booking onboard. We are RCCL Crown & Anchor members, booked early, but not on the first day.

If we had booked oceanview cabins on RCCL, the cost would have been around half of our oceanview cabins on DCL.

YMMV.

Woody

 

[gismo1554]

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Queen of Oakville]

We like both DCL (platinum) and RCCL (diamond).

We have sailed on RCCL on itineraries not offered by DCL, such as South America (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Ushuaia, Argentina -- to walk among the penguins; Valparaiso, Chile; Lima, Peru; Puntarenas, Costa Rica) and the Eastern Med (Athens, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Cairo, Egypt). So I can't compare those prices with DCL.

But I can compare prices where DCL has sailed.

In 2010, we went on the Disney Magic EBTA and WBTA. For two adults, we paid $1,498 pp including tax for the EB, and $1,665 pp for the WB, both in a Cat. 9 oceanview cabin. We booked the first day, and transferred onboard bookings for the Castaway Club discount. Both times we received the CC OBC, which I recall was $200 per cabin.

For 2011, we booked an EBTA and WBTA with RCCL on Voyager Class ships. They have five ships in this class: Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager of the Seas.

For two adults, we paid $869 pp including tax for the EB, and $935 pp for the WB. We will have a Cat. E2 balcony cabin on both cruises, and will receive $200 OBC for booking onboard. We are RCCL Crown & Anchor members, booked early, but not on the first day.

If we had booked oceanview cabins on RCCL, the cost would have been around half of our oceanview cabins on DCL.

YMMV.

Woody

EBTA and WBTA?

 

[Dec6]

I choose DCL Waaaaaaay over RCCL...Last year I went on a RCCL 9day cruise and by the 3rd day I was ready to jump ship. The food and service was not as good as Disney and the vibe seemed to be very dull...When we docked in Grand Cayman...a DCL ship docked right next to us and everyone on RCCL gave DCL their full attention...the ship was so full of life and just seemed to be a better and more fun cruise to be on.

I knew after taking a RCCL cruise I would never go back...even if it was free. When I tell u the food couldn't even compare to DCL and they charge a soda package fee unlike DCL..(soda is free). The childrens day camps were boring...my daughter stayed with us most of the time, unlike DCL, we NEVER saw her.

The last day on RCCL my family and I were the first one's to walk off the ship with luggage in hand. We couldn't wait to leave, unlike DCL we are usually the last to leave and don't want it to end.

Choose DCL (trust me) over RCCL you and ur family will love it.

 

[woody73]

EBTA and WBTA?

Eastbound Transatlantic and Westbound Transatlantic.

Woody

 

[DisneyMomforLife]

Thank you all so much ... there is definitely a lot to think about and we plan to do just that. I'm the queen of spreadsheets and Power Point presentations so I will have the pros and cons mapped out for a family meeting by tomorrow!! LOL

Do sincerely appreciate all of the info and insight.

Kat

 

[barbmouse]

You have gotten so many great answers!! We have sailed on DCL and RCCL and have had such a wonderful time on all of our cruises. I did want to mention that I prefer the shows on DCL over RCCL and am dying to sail on one of the newer DCL ships. However, I do have to add that as our kids have gotten older they MUCH prefer RCCL over DCL. They are now 14 and 17 and always want to sail on Freedom which is our favorite RCCL ship. My dd17 feels that Oasis and Allure are too big. We may try them someday but not until prices come down. I have to say that price would always factor in on choosing RCL over DCL for us as well. We sail in the summer so prices are high!! I love cruising and don't think you can go wrong on DCL or RCCL!

 

[Who's your Mickey?]

We haven't been on Oasis or Allure (hoping Allure this summer) but did the eastern on the Freedom last summer.

Can anyone who has experienced both tell me what the major differences are? Here are a few questions and/or things I already know. Anyone with Allure or Oasis experience specifically, please chime in as well

I know the rooms are bigger on Disney (not including suites, etc).

The split bathrooms on Disney are MUCH better than most other cruise lines bathrooms, especially when traveling with kids.

Bathrooms in the average RCI cabin are tiny.

I know that Disney allows you to bring liquor and beverages and all other cruise lines do not.

correct

What about soda or other drinks? Do they have to be purchased onboard or are they free?

You have to buy a soda package and then get soda from the bars, this is a pain when the bars are crowded. Once the diner servers learn you're drink choices, they will usually have your soda ready at dinner

Agreed.

How is dining done? I'm guessing they have buffets and restaurants that you rotate around? Do the servers follow you around as well or no (thought this was specific to Disney)? If not, how does the tipping work at the end of the week?

Freedom had one main dinning room for dinner, Disney is the only one that rotates. My 10 year son said he missed the roatating.

RCI does not offer rotational dining.

How is the service?? The food??

Service was very good, in fact we were suprised at how friendly and efficent it was. The food on the other hand was only so-so. The main dining room was usually pretty good, we got tired of the buffet at lunch. We really missed having a fast food option by the pool.

I'm always amazed by the ability of the RCI waitstaff to learn names and preferences in such a short time. Really the waitstaff on most cruiseline's ships. The Windjammer Cafe is only a few steps from the pool deck, but it is not "poolside".

How are the kids clubs? On a ship as big as the Oasis class, do the kids even want to go to the clubs?

My son loved the kids club on the Freedom, but he's an only and generally loves any situation where he gets to hang out with other kids. The thing we didn't like is you have to pay for the kids club after 10. We aren't late night partiers but that still cut the evening shorter than what we wanted some nights.

RCI's Adventure Ocean program is among the best of any cruise line across their entire fleet. We had trouble getting the kids to hang with us on the ship. Although they really enjoyed the Flowrider...

Are the pools fresh or salt water? I had thought Disney was the only one who did fresh water but I could be wrong?

Pools are fresh

Only RCI's Freedom & Oasis class ships have fresh water pools. It has to do with the "H2O Zone". All of their other class ships have salt water pools.

I think its safe to assume that independent restaurants on the boardwalk and in the promenade on RCCL ships are extra (such as Johnny Rockets and places like that) but it can't hurt to ask to get confirmation.

Johnny Rockets is extra, but on the Allure and Oasis it looks like there are a pretty good mixture of pay and free dining areas.

Johnny Rockets is a waste... Their food is not near the quality of the other RCI restaurants. I understand that Allure has a Brazilian steakhouse onboard.

Lastly, in general, what else is extra to pay for ... or other differences that I haven't mentioned?

Both have private island, we like Castaway better that RCCL's, you had to pay to play on the inflatable floating playground at RCCL's island. Lot's of fun but it was something I felt should have been included

Oh ... and lastly, lastly ... having cruised both RCCL and Disney - which would you be more likely to pick for a future cruise??

OK, this is a tough one, we have done mutiple cruise on both and like both for different reasons. I am very active and love the options on the newer RCCL ships (the Flowrider is awesome), my wife on the other had is happy to sit on the balcony and read and enjoy the Disney fun. My son just wants to go and is fine with either. We really enjoy movies and obviously DCL's theater is better and we enjoy DCL's shows better also. RCCL does great parades on their big ships. I think if money were no object, we would probably stay with DCL most of the time, but it is, so in the past we have alternated between the two. I don't think you would disappointed with either, you just have to realize that there are things that one does better that the other.

This is a tough call... RCI has a casino on all their ships and Disney does not. Both offer a wide variety of activities. The RCI sports deck offers a 9-hole mini golf course, a sport court, and the rock wall. Voyager class ships and larger have an ice skating rink. The Freedom class adds the Flowrider, and the Oasis class ships have the Aqua Theater, zipline and boardwalk area. Disney has their own special flair and the Aqua Duck.

see my additions above in BLUE

 

[allshookup]

So, we have a "ghost date" reservation that we booked onboard a while back and we are trying to decide whether or not to use it next April. We've been on the Wonder twice, the Magic once for an Eastern so it's been the plan to save this last one for the Fantasy for a Western. My kids are getting older (will be 22 and 14 next time) and althought they do still love the "big mickey boat", I think they are excited to get on RCCL's Oasis or Allure and experience that patch of grass next time.

Can anyone who has experienced both tell me what the major differences are? Here are a few questions and/or things I already know. Anyone with Allure or Oasis experience specifically, please chime in as well!!!

Have cruised RCCL, but not the new bigger ships, but here is my 2 cents:


I know the rooms are bigger on Disney (not including suites, etc).

Depends on what category you get, the insides are smaller but balconies are similar. Not a fan of the split bathroom...I always seem to have what I need in the wrong bathroom.


I know that Disney allows you to bring liquor and beverages and all other cruise lines do not.

RCCL does not, but Carnival allows 1 bottle of wine per person. DCL doesn't officially say you CAN they just don't stop you!


What about soda or other drinks? Do they have to be purchased onboard or are they free?

You have to buy a soda card....not that big a deal but free soda is nice!

How is dining done? I'm guessing they have buffets and restaurants that you rotate around? Do the servers follow you around as well or no (thought this was specific to Disney)? If not, how does the tipping work at the end of the week?

Like others have said, no rotation, same servers, but DCL does it better IMHO! Ex: my DS said he like peanut butter...pyramid of packets in front of him every night on the Magic. Who does that???

How is the service?? The food??

I was impressed with how RCCL knew our names before we introduced ourselves, and the food is very much the same on both.

How are the kids clubs? On a ship as big as the Oasis class, do the kids even want to go to the clubs?

My kids love the clubs, but when my DD was just a teen, the RCCL club was a bit intimidating due to a lot of much older teens. Also the clubs cost after 10PM & during meals.


Are the pools fresh or salt water? I had thought Disney was the only one who did fresh water but I could be wrong?

I think most cruise lines are salt other than DCL but the way they filter them you can't even tell.

I think its safe to assume that independent restaurants on the boardwalk and in the promenade on RCCL ships are extra (such as Johnny Rockets and places like that) but it can't hurt to ask to get confirmation.

They are extra but a nominal fee at Johnny Rockets. You can get free Pizza till the wee hours of the morning.

Lastly, in general, what else is extra to pay for ... or other differences that I haven't mentioned?

I can't think of anything else extra you pay for. We've been on DCL, RCCL & NCL & we've never had a BAD cruise!

Oh ... and lastly, lastly ... having cruised both RCCL and Disney - which would you be more likely to pick for a future cruise??

Because my kids are older, I would pick RCCL for better night life, but because many of our DIS friends are cruising DCL again, well we had to join them!

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Kat

 

[corbett744]

The one comment I would like to make about the afore
mentions cruise like is that when we had a complaint about a shore excursion, it was handled much better on DCL than the other, and quicker. I also think I'm a bit prejudiced. I really like DCL and the no casino.

 

[tstobb]

For us, it's the service that makes the difference. On RCCL, our cabin steward actually yelled at us for not putting out our card that the room was ready to be made up. Not mentioned it to us but actually yelled to the point it was embarrasing for us over what we considered to be a trivial item. We also observed, on the pool deck, near one of the food/bar service areas, a cart literally overflowing with trash. 2 hours later, treking back through the same area, the cart was still there and still overflowing with trash.

That being said, our dining staff on RCCL was fantastic and the ship itself was amazing! Without riding it yet on the Dream, the flowrider on the RCCL big ships puts the aquaduck to shame for entertainment. DCL spas win with no contest and the shows on RCCL were geared more towards those used to/expecting Vegas glitz.

 

[joksten2000]

We've been on several 12 day cruises out of Cape Liberty on the Explorer of the Seas and most always book an inside room. Have never paid more than $2,500 for the both of us. Is it DCL No, but we've always had a good time. More than our monies worth. When we sailed to Hawaii we had a suite, but wasn't really any different than an inside, oh the extra space was nice but we spend so little time in the cabin. Spent $14K on that cruise but it was for our 40th anniversary. Normally I can't justify spending a lot of money for a cruise in a suite when we can be inside and enjoy the same food and same sunshine.

 

[Brandis]

I can't speak for the newest RCL ships but my favorite is Brilliance of the Seas also built at Meyer in Papenburg and I think they build the most beautiful ships out there!

On Brilliance we usually have a regular balcony cabin and on Disney Wonder we had a balcony cabin as well. However I thought that the cabin on Brilliance felt more spacious that on Wonder.