Other/Cheaper Cruises...?

[KashasMom]

Look, I like all cruise lines. What I find funny about all of these posts is that people make all kinds of fuss about people enjoying Disney, but, say one bad thing about RCCL and you'll have a riot on your hands...

The Serenade cannot be compared to the Oasis class ships. Obviously people need/want different things from their cruises. None of the things on your original list affect us one way or the other. We don't drink, don't use room service, don't use the kid's clubs. So to us there is no value there. Food, entertainment, service are subjective. Nobody is right or wrong. What most people (who have branched out) find frustrating are the people who have never cruised another line or never had a comparable cruise experience commenting negatively about the experience on those cruises. These boards used to be much worse as far as Disney people not tolerating anything negative being said about Disney. I think with prices continuously rising and people branching out there is much more balance now. The comments about people who cruised Carnival were particularly nasty. I for one love to hear about other experiences. I've learned quite a bit about the new Carnival ships. I've learned first hand about MSC and even HA (the only major line we haven't cruised). And I'd love to hear about your experience on the Regal. There is value from every experience. It would be great if there was a place here where people could share that info (like the RC board).

We cruise all lines for different reasons and different experiences. Most people don't care what lines or how other people cruise, including me. I am not interested in converting anyone - not my job. We still cruise Disney but are much more particular about choosing those cruises.

I don't think people make a fuss. But if you're going to throw something out there you should be able to back it up. The comment about add-ons seems to have derailed this thread. So no riot; we're just waiting for the explanation.

 

[Dug720]

Mine aren't young. They're almost adults. It's even worse because the social aspect of cruising is so important to high school kids. The last thing you want to do take a 10 day cruise that's mostly sea days with a couple of bored teenagers.

The first thing they asked me when I booked the Carnival Baltic cruise next Summer is if there would be kids on board. I'm assuming there will be, but it's a very port intensive cruise. It would be great if the teen clubs closed a little earlier then Disney.

The Vibe is open until 2am and then some of the kids go to the family lounge and hang out even later. At this hour they have the ship to themselves. Then the next day the room host gets annoyed because he can't clean the room until noon. I always tell them it's not my fault tell Disney to close the teen clubs earlier. It's funny how on Disney the only people up past 11pm are the teenagers on Royal it's a different story.

You could also set a curfew for them when you have a reason to have to be up. Just because the clubs are open doesn't mean they have to be there.

 

[mevelandry]

Look, I like all cruise lines. What I find funny about all of these posts is that people make all kinds of fuss about people enjoying Disney, but, say one bad thing about RCCL and you'll have a riot on your hands...

With all due respect, I haven't seen anyone riot here.

 

[Pens Fan]

I think from now on, whenever I see the nickel and dime comments about other cruise lines, I'm just going to post a link to this thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-cruise-expenses.3687610/

The reality is that sailing on most cruise lines can lead to extra charges, even on Disney. The point is that most of the these charges are optional. I just shake my head whenever someone tries to justify Disney's prices by implying that they are more inclusive than other lines. Our onboard expenses on Disney have always been so much higher than what we spend on NCL (several times higher!) I realize, however, that won't necessarily be the case for everyone. We are all different, and want different things when we travel. Anyone trying to make a point could come up with some scenario where one line charged them more on board than another and come on here and state is as some absolute for everyone. But that is just silly and a waste of everyone's time.

The bottom line is if you are going to take any type of vacation, do your homework. Find out what is and isn't included in the base cost and research the optional add ons. Figure out what you will want to add and then you can make a fair comparison on cost. That final number will be different for everyone. For us, Disney not only has higher cruise fares, but costs us more once we get on board as well. That's OUR reality. It won't be everyone's.

See, no riot here!!

 

[cgolf]

I think from now on, whenever I see the nickel and dime comments about other cruise lines, I'm just going to post a link to this thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-cruise-expenses.3687610/

The reality is that sailing on most cruise lines can lead to extra charges, even on Disney. The point is that most of the these charges are optional. I just shake my head whenever someone tries to justify Disney's prices by implying that they are more inclusive than other lines. Our onboard expenses on Disney have always been so much higher than what we spend on NCL (several times higher!) I realize, however, that won't necessarily be the case for everyone. We are all different, and want different things when we travel. Anyone trying to make a point could come up with some scenario where one line charged them more on board than another and come on here and state is as some absolute for everyone. But that is just silly and a waste of everyone's time.

The bottom line is if you are going to take any type of vacation, do your homework. Find out what is and isn't included in the base cost and research the optional add ons. Figure out what you will want to add and then you can make a fair comparison on cost. That final number will be different for everyone. For us, Disney not only has higher cruise fares, but costs us more once we get on board as well. That's OUR reality. It won't be everyone's.

See, no riot here!!

That argument is so not true for us, when we have sailed RCCL we have not spent over 100 bucks onboard yet for drinks, merchandise, or dining yet. So it all comes down to what you want to purchase onboard, not what you are being forced to pay for.

 

[tidefan]

The Serenade cannot be compared to the Oasis class ships. Obviously people need/want different things from their cruises. None of the things on your original list affect us one way or the other. We don't drink, don't use room service, don't use the kid's clubs. So to us there is no value there. Food, entertainment, service are subjective. Nobody is right or wrong. What most people (who have branched out) find frustrating are the people who have never cruised another line or never had a comparable cruise experience commenting negatively about the experience on those cruises. These boards used to be much worse as far as Disney people not tolerating anything negative being said about Disney. I think with prices continuously rising and people branching out there is much more balance now. The comments about people who cruised Carnival were particularly nasty. I for one love to hear about other experiences. I've learned quite a bit about the new Carnival ships. I've learned first hand about MSC and even HA (the only major line we haven't cruised). And I'd love to hear about your experience on the Regal. There is value from every experience. It would be great if there was a place here where people could share that info (like the RC board).

We cruise all lines for different reasons and different experiences. Most people don't care what lines or how other people cruise, including me. I am not interested in converting anyone - not my job. We still cruise Disney but are much more particular about choosing those cruises.

I don't think people make a fuss. But if you're going to throw something out there you should be able to back it up. The comment about add-ons seems to have derailed this thread. So no riot; we're just waiting for the explanation.

So, what did I “throw out there”? You mention add-on’s, but my comments there were directly related to a post that someone asked what could be different on DCL, so I listed some things. I wasn’t trying to make a point, just to answer the prior posters question. I agree it is up to the individual to see if one values them or not, but they are there nonetheless...

As to other lines, yes, I’d love to discuss them too, but, as mentioned before, the forum is restricted to RCCL.

I know it seems like I have something against RCCL, and I don’t. Yes, I tried it and had a bad experience, but as I’ve said numerous times before, I really think that was specific to that ship (and, perhaps, that sailing). What does leave me shaking my head sometimes is not RCCL per se, but the people who come on here and talk about what a great value it is because it’s a good bit cheaper than say Disney, but when you point out that something like the newer Carnival ships give a similar experience for much less than what RCCL charges I find it ironic that people don’t continue along with their same logic they applied to DCL...

Look, we’d love to do the Harmony, but similar to what people say about DCL, I’m not going to pay a thousand or two more to sail it than say Carnival, Princess, HAL, etc...

 

[KashasMom]

So, what did I “throw out there”? You mention add-on’s, but my comments there were directly related to a post that someone asked what could be different on DCL, so I listed some things. I wasn’t trying to make a point, just to answer the prior posters question. I agree it is up to the individual to see if one values them or not, but they are there nonetheless...

As to other lines, yes, I’d love to discuss them too, but, as mentioned before, the forum is restricted to RCCL.

I know it seems like I have something against RCCL, and I don’t. Yes, I tried it and had a bad experience, but as I’ve said numerous times before, I really think that was specific to that ship (and, perhaps, that sailing). What does leave me shaking my head sometimes is not RCCL per se, but the people who come on here and talk about what a great value it is because it’s a good bit cheaper than say Disney, but when you point out that something like the newer Carnival ships give a similar experience for much less than what RCCL charges I find it ironic that people don’t continue along with their same logic they applied to DCL...

Look, we’d love to do the Harmony, but similar to what people say about DCL, I’m not going to pay a thousand or two more to sail it than say Carnival, Princess, HAL, etc...

Sorry for the confusion! I didn't mean to imply the add-on comment was from you. I think that comment kind of derailed this thread. I totally agree with you and have had great cruises on Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, and RCI (no HAL yet). I have heard great things about their new ships and would love to hear/read more.

 

[bbel]

Look, I like all cruise lines. What I find funny about all of these posts is that people make all kinds of fuss about people enjoying Disney, but, say one bad thing about RCCL and you'll have a riot on your hands...

Not at all you did a comparison, which is apparently ok. I did one which is apparently not. Last time I looked, a comparison and sharing of information was far from a riot lol. But I see your protective over Disney (that's ok) and dont want to know about other lines so interpret it as you will.

I chose royal because I have much personal experience with royal and Disney, so they're the only two I can compare. If I could compare princess and carnival and celebrity etc too then I would. But i don't have the knowledge.

 

[tidefan]

Not at all you did a comparison, which is apparently ok. I did one which is apparently not. Last time I looked, a comparison and sharing of information was far from a riot lol. But I see your protective over Disney (that's ok) and dont want to know about other lines so interpret it as you will.

I chose royal because I have much personal experience with royal and Disney, so they're the only two I can compare. If I could compare princess and carnival and celebrity etc too then I would. But i don't have the knowledge.

Protective over Disney? I think you are reading in too much to that.

Just not an RCCL fan, though I would eventually like to give them another try to change a bad first impression.

I have had great experiences with Princess and Carnival though. If you tried those you might find you just may like them too! And, I bet if I got on a newer RCCL ship, I hope that I would like it better! It’s OK to like more than one line, and it’s OK to acknowledge that each has it’s strengths and weaknesses. What works for you may not work for someone else, and vice-versa. And that’s OK!

Pointing out that DCL does have some things that people value (and apparently they are able to get what they ask, so someone apparently values it), doesn’t necessarily make one “Protective over Disney”...

 

[ChicosWife]

Would love to hear all the details of your particular example. What specifically were the add-ons?

I honestly don't remember. I just remember the grand totals and being pleasantly surprised.

The bottom line is if you are going to take any type of vacation, do your homework. Find out what is and isn't included in the base cost and research the optional add ons. Figure out what you will want to add and then you can make a fair comparison on cost.

Yes! Add-ons are tangible and intangible and up to perspective.

Protective over Disney? I think you are reading in too much to that.

Just not an RCCL fan, though I would eventually like to give them another try to change a bad first impression.

I have had great experiences with Princess and Carnival though. If you tried those you might find you just may like them too! And, I bet if I got on a newer RCCL ship, I hope that I would like it better! It’s OK to like more than one line, and it’s OK to acknowledge that each has it’s strengths and weaknesses. What works for you may not work for someone else, and vice-versa. And that’s OK!

Pointing out that DCL does have some things that people value (and apparently they are able to get what they ask, so someone apparently values it), doesn’t necessarily make one “Protective over Disney”...

Amen to that!

 

[mousefan73]

It would really be nice if we could have something like that on the cruise boards where people who had actually sailed on other lines could share their experiences.

Edited to add: @mevelandry has done a great job keeping the Carnival thread alive, though she often has to get past the usual suspects trying to derail it and get it closed. I just wish we also had a general thread where folks could share info about all kinds of cruise lines.

Well in September I plan on doing a trip report.. June we sail one week Oasis and August one week Fantasy with 2 teenagers. Granted the Oasis is Europe not the eastern. caribbean, but I will do a trip report comparing the two ships and what not.. I can say that my 13 yrs old son seems at the moment very much more excited about the Oasis as a ship ( he's addicted to youtube vlogs right now)

 

[lucyddr]

As a party of 2, our pricing was similar to yours. However, as a family of 4....there is a HUGE price difference between other mass lines and DCL. Last year, our family of 4 cruised on the Carnival Glory in September for $3200 including prepaid tips. Our "extras" were room service sodas, waters, and Powerades, at a cost of $156 total. Our upcoming October DCL cruise is $6100 including prepaying tips. It's almost double! We will still have many DCL "extras", so that's really a moot point for our family.

I will say that we love Carnival. However, we had a not-so-great experience last spring break with them and will NEVER cruise Carnival on spring break again! It wasn't even comparable to our other 6-8 Carnival cruise experiences...it was awful! I can certainly see how that being the OP's only experience could change his entire view of the line!

 

[mevelandry]

As a party of 2, our pricing was similar to yours. However, as a family of 4....there is a HUGE price difference between other mass lines and DCL. Last year, our family of 4 cruised on the Carnival Glory in September for $3200 including prepaid tips. Our "extras" were room service sodas, waters, and Powerades, at a cost of $156 total. Our upcoming October DCL cruise is $6100 including prepaying tips. It's almost double! We will still have many DCL "extras", so that's really a moot point for our family.

I will say that we love Carnival. However, we had a not-so-great experience last spring break with them and will NEVER cruise Carnival on spring break again! It wasn't even comparable to our other 6-8 Carnival cruise experiences...it was awful! I can certainly see how that being the OP's only experience could change his entire view of the line!

Which ship was is? Carnival Glory?

 

[robinb]

Perhaps like the split off the RCCL board, maybe Dis could create a general cruising board where other options could be discussed and this board could stick more exclusively to all things DCL? I for one would have nbenifitted from a board like this back in 2016.

I think that’s a great idea. I’ll be honest. I’ve always been priced out of DCL. I just can’t bring myself to pay that much for a cruise. I’m priced out of non-DVC deluxe resorts for the same reason. I can have a blast without breaking the bank. I would love a place to discuss other lines here. For instance I cruised NCL in December and had a great time.

I might change my mind when my DD has kids about DCL but that’s (hopefully) far in the future.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Our upcoming October DCL cruise is $6100 including prepaying tips. It's almost double! We will still have many DCL "extras", so that's really a moot point for our family.

...but the free soda!

 

[smmco]

You could also set a curfew for them when you have a reason to have to be up. Just because the clubs are open doesn't mean they have to be there.

Thanks but I wasn’t looking for parenting advice.

 

[lucyddr]

Which ship was is? Carnival Glory?

The less than ideal cruise was actually a 5 day spring break cruise on the Triumph. Never again! We LOVED the Glory! Nice design, great staff, just a great overall vibe!

...but the free soda!

Exactly...."free."

 

[oufpat]

We are big Disney Fans, going on our second and third DCL cruise in 2019. But Disney priced us out for the Greek Isles Cruise for 2020, so I booked with RCCC (first time with them) because for us this cruise is about the destination, not the ship. I figure I can use the money I save on another DC in the future.

 

[Tasmen]

We are big Disney Fans, going on our second and third DCL cruise in 2019. But Disney priced us out for the Greek Isles Cruise for 2020, so I booked with RCCC (first time with them) because for us this cruise is about the destination, not the ship. I figure I can use the money I save on another DC in the future.

Exactly how I'm thinking about things as we start to think about booking a Europe cruise for 2021.

 

[GeezeLouise]

I haven't been with Disney yet, but I'm also really interested in Celebrity. And it prices similarly. I'm rather surpised to see people post here that their kids have "outgrown" princesses. Seems odd (and judgey) for a Disney focused forum. Mine was never really into them as a full on thing. I always supposed that was part of th appeal for most. The idea of Rapunzel's Royal Table or Tiana's Place are very appealing to me. Something I'd pay for on land!

RCCL looks fun. I'd do that too (once I do some disney cruises) but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much. My kids might like it more. It certainly has more options. I really want to go to Kings Wharf and Disney has limited options on that port.

I like the limited choices onboard with DCL. It may sound weird, but it is part of Disney's appeal for me. I want my main dining place to be great and have an option or 2 to upgrade, not five. It makes it easier. If I want a choice of every option, I'd probably just do a land vacation I plan myself. I want a nice slate of activities and food options that are all quality. Not dozens to choose from each. And I like the classic cartoons so I'll probably like any show they do. Even a line with great broadway stuff is going to be hit and miss with me. I don't like every musical out there.

I'm delighted with the news that Frozen is starting on the Fantasy. I was avoiding it in planning due not being a huge fan of Aladdin.

Celebrity apparently has movies and food pairing sessions and cooking classes. That sounds fun. The kid's club sounds great. So I definitely want to try that, but it isn't really cheaper than DCL. At least not without a really good sale.