Other Cruise Lines

[SCRAPBOOKQUEEN]

Well as if there are "Other Cruise Lines" but if you were thinking of doing a different cruise line which one would you do? I have priced DCL and at this point it's just about over my head. Also, I want to go to Hawaii. I've never been and I understand that it too is very expensive so I thought perhaps a cruise. So, what are your thoughts about Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise or Carnival?? It would be for me and my daughter who is currently 19 and I will need at least 1-2 years to plan and save depending on price. I know that a lot of you have cruised other lines and so what are your thoughts. We have sailed DCL and LOVED it but not sure I can afford it anymore and we've always done all of our vacations to Disney. Maybe something new this time. Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

Scrapbookqueen.

 

[starlight.321]

I have done eight Carnival cruises. It is different and doesn't have the Disney touch, but basically you get what you pay for. I do like that they have comedy every night in the lounge. For food, I like the ships with Guys' Burgers and the Blue Iguana - better food IMO than the Lido deck. I enjoyed them. I have also done three Royal Caribbean and enjoyed them as well.

 

[bumbershoot]

Royal. We like it more than Disney.

Celebrity will be tried out soon because they both have a casino (DH likes that) but don't allow smoking in it (I like that...DH cannot gamble in a smoking casino unless he wants to throw away his clothes and shower before returning to the room)

 

[SCRAPBOOKQUEEN]

I have done eight Carnival cruises. It is different and doesn't have the Disney touch, but basically you get what you pay for. I do like that they have comedy every night in the lounge. For food, I like the ships with Guys' Burgers and the Blue Iguana - better food IMO than the Lido deck. I enjoyed them. I have also done three Royal Caribbean and enjoyed them as well.

Just looked at Royal Caribbean for May of 2018 and for a room with porthole they had two left!!! That's a year and a half from now and it's mostly booked. Seemed like a decent price, a 10 day Hawaii cruise for us would be $3700. I'm going to keep looking. The deposit was $900. Flights could be an issue.

 

[tivo4me1]

My first cruise was with Holland America to Hawaii (Honeymoon in 2010). As OP understands, nothing is "affordable" when it comes to Hawaii. I will say, though, that I enjoyed the Holland America cruise very much, although I wouldn't likely travel with them again while I still have a young child (5 years old). Understand, though, that on Holland, you'll find MANY more walkers on the boat than strollers, if you know what I mean...

I also did a two week Panama Canal cruise on Norwegian, and would say that they were our least favorite of the lines we've tried (Holland, Carnival, Disney). I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it lacked the kid-friendliness and overall family vibe of Disney, the party-atmosphere of Carnival, and the stately/classy/subdued attitude of Holland, without really adding anything of its own to the mix (beyond charging at every "buy up" restaurant in order to get a decent sit-down meal).

FWIW...

Good luck!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We loved our Carnival cruise http://www.disboards.com/threads/thoughts-on-the-new-carnival-vista.3521334/, have a B2B booked on her next June as well.

 

[Marc D]

For us, after two RCCL cruises, we upgraded to Celebrity and will not go back. We find that the food in the MDR is way better. I recently saw a detailed YouTube video of recent menus on RCCL and it seems they haven't upgraded the quality since we switched a few years ago. When we try something else than DCL, once our son will be a bit older, we'll go on NCL because of the variety of restaurants and absence of a dining schedule. We are used to be at the MDR at a set time, but it might be more relaxing to set our own schedule and go into the restaurants at any time.

For the rest, the service you'll get will vary greatly based on the individuals assigned to you, the excursions are mostly the same, all lines offer all sizes of ships with the same amenities and itineraries. Of course, there are are particularities (Celebrity goes to Antarctica, RCCL has the ten stories slides) but a bad cruise vacation is rare. One thing that has a lot of impact on the 'feel' of the cruise that you can't predict is the other guests : on a set itinerary, from one week to the next, you might have a totally different vibe because the crowd will be different. Things like holidays, school calendars, local discounts, group bookings, etc. will have a huge impact on the composition of the crowd. My parents have done a LOT of back-to-back cruising (same itinerary for 3-4 weeks in a row) and they say that's the main factor determining how much they'll enjoy a particular cruise.

If you plan on doing a lot of cruising, choose a line and stick with it to upgrade your status. Outside of DCL, club status is the main way to upgrade your experience, along with booking concierge-level cabins.

 

[MPS516]

We have done several cruise lines including Hawaii, Royal was ok and we would sail them again if DCL was not an option. We will never sail NCL again, although 1 person in our travel group (of 17 total) does like NCL so she travels them without the rest of us. When you go just don't compare things to what you had on Disney, you will only disappoint yourself. Treat it like a new adventure and it will be fine.

 

[SCRAPBOOKQUEEN]

We loved our Carnival cruise http://www.disboards.com/threads/thoughts-on-the-new-carnival-vista.3521334/, have a B2B booked on her next June as well.

WOW, I loved your report. I sailed Carnival back in the day when the Holiday was just built. That gives you an idea of how long that was. Circa 1985??? I've done the Disney Magic in 2008 and then most of our trips have been either DW or DL. Our last trip being my daughters high school graduation trip to Disneyland this past May. We did 5 days and had a blast!! But, we would like to do something different. She wants to go to Hawaii and I thought about a cruise to Hawaii. They are hard to find and you have to fly to Hawaii or Vancouver first from what I've seen. I looked at Carnival and they have a couple from Long Beach, Ca. I am surprised at availability. I looked at one for 2018 and there were only a few spots left. So a couple of questions.

Are the cruises refundable?
What are the Havana Cabanas?
Are meals included? I wasn't sure if they still had the dining room options. Do they have restaurants that you can pay for food now?
Why do you prefer an inside cabin compared to a room with a port hole or balcony? Is it just personal preference or cost? I thought about the inside room but wondered if we would be claustrophobic. Also, is there one deck better than another? Thank you in advance for answering these questions. I plan on researching this and asking my DD to do some research as well. Unfortunately for me it takes me 2-3 years to save enough money to do something like this I see where people take several a year and I so wish I could do this.

Thanks,
Scrapbookqueen

 

[Rogillio]

DCL for the kids at least once. Then try other lines.

 

[RedSox68]

We've done 10 Disney cruises, but could not justify the pricing for many of the itineraries we still wanted to try. We have done Princess (saved thousands on their 12-night British Isles cruise compared to DCL), HAL in Alaska and a Canada/NE cruise, NCL twice and Carnival. We loved all (but NCL for the most part) and had some great service, terrific food and wonderful staterooms. The biggest plus over DCL is the pricing -- all of our cruises on other lines were hundreds, sometimes even thousands, cheaper than DCL for the same or similar itinerary!

 

[NancyIL]

Just looked at Royal Caribbean for May of 2018 and for a room with porthole they had two left!!! That's a year and a half from now and it's mostly booked. Seemed like a decent price, a 10 day Hawaii cruise for us would be $3700. I'm going to keep looking. The deposit was $900. Flights could be an issue.

I am booked on the May 2017 12-night Honolulu to Vancouver cruise on Royal Caribbean. RCI does those cruises only twice a year (also in September) when it repositions between Australia/NZ and Alaska. Celebrity also does similar Hawaiian repositioning cruises. NCL's Pride of America does year-round 7-night round-trip Hawaiian cruises from Honolulu. Other cruise lines (Princess, HAL) do round-trip cruises from Los Angeles or San Diego, but you get mostly sea days, with 4 port days in Hawaii plus a port day in Ensenada, Mexico.

 

[RedSox68]

I am booked on the May 2017 12-night Honolulu to Vancouver cruise on Royal Caribbean. RCI does those cruises only twice a year (also in September) when it repositions between Australia/NZ and Alaska. Celebrity also does similar Hawaiian repositioning cruises. NCL's Pride of America does year-round 7-night round-trip Hawaiian cruises from Honolulu. Other cruise lines (Princess, HAL) do round-trip cruises from Los Angeles or San Diego, but you get mostly sea days, with 4 port days in Hawaii plus a port day in Ensenada, Mexico.

Because of our experience on the Pride of America, I cannot recommend them. And from what I've read, they have not improved since we sailed in 2008!

 

[NancyIL]

Because of our experience on the Pride of America, I cannot recommend them. And from what I've read, they have not improved since we sailed in 2008!

People who sail on Pride of America do so for the itinerary, and not the ship. If one expects it to be like DCL, you will be disappointed.

 

[starlight.321]

WOW, I loved your report. I sailed Carnival back in the day when the Holiday was just built. That gives you an idea of how long that was. Circa 1985??? I've done the Disney Magic in 2008 and then most of our trips have been either DW or DL. Our last trip being my daughters high school graduation trip to Disneyland this past May. We did 5 days and had a blast!! But, we would like to do something different. She wants to go to Hawaii and I thought about a cruise to Hawaii. They are hard to find and you have to fly to Hawaii or Vancouver first from what I've seen. I looked at Carnival and they have a couple from Long Beach, Ca. I am surprised at availability. I looked at one for 2018 and there were only a few spots left. So a couple of questions.

Are the cruises refundable?
What are the Havana Cabanas?
Are meals included? I wasn't sure if they still had the dining room options. Do they have restaurants that you can pay for food now?
Why do you prefer an inside cabin compared to a room with a port hole or balcony? Is it just personal preference or cost? I thought about the inside room but wondered if we would be claustrophobic. Also, is there one deck better than another? Thank you in advance for answering these questions. I plan on researching this and asking my DD to do some research as well. Unfortunately for me it takes me 2-3 years to save enough money to do something like this I see where people take several a year and I so wish I could do this.

Thanks,
Scrapbookqueen

Different types of fares have different cancellation policies, but I think they are similar to Disney for the most part. If you book early saver, there is a cancellation fee but you can also get a price drop as close as two days out. The Havana cabins are only on the Vista. They give you access to a special area during the day only for those cabins. If you have a Havana balcony they have a hammock. I think right now you have to book those like a year out. Meals are included - they have a dining room that is similar to the rotational dining on Disney (not as good a food) and you go to the same one every day. The Lido deck has a buffet as well. Every ship (I think) has a steakhouse for pay. Some ships have a couple of other for pay restaurants. I book insides a lot because of cost. I love balconies. One deck over another is personal preference. I have been low, mid and high and am not sure I really preferred any of them, all were good.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

WOW, I loved your report. I sailed Carnival back in the day when the Holiday was just built. That gives you an idea of how long that was. Circa 1985??? I've done the Disney Magic in 2008 and then most of our trips have been either DW or DL. Our last trip being my daughters high school graduation trip to Disneyland this past May. We did 5 days and had a blast!! But, we would like to do something different. She wants to go to Hawaii and I thought about a cruise to Hawaii. They are hard to find and you have to fly to Hawaii or Vancouver first from what I've seen. I looked at Carnival and they have a couple from Long Beach, Ca. I am surprised at availability. I looked at one for 2018 and there were only a few spots left. So a couple of questions.

Are the cruises refundable?
What are the Havana Cabanas?
Are meals included? I wasn't sure if they still had the dining room options. Do they have restaurants that you can pay for food now?
Why do you prefer an inside cabin compared to a room with a port hole or balcony? Is it just personal preference or cost? I thought about the inside room but wondered if we would be claustrophobic. Also, is there one deck better than another? Thank you in advance for answering these questions. I plan on researching this and asking my DD to do some research as well. Unfortunately for me it takes me 2-3 years to save enough money to do something like this I see where people take several a year and I so wish I could do this.

Thanks,
Scrapbookqueen

Depending on which plan you book under they can be 100% refundable, or you may pay a small service fee if you cancel.

Havana Cabana area is a Cuban themed area on deck 5 aft, that nobody under age 12 is allowed to be booked in and the pool and jacuzzis are limited to Havana guest all day until 7:00 PM. I believe there are only about 65 cabins included in that area. The balcony cabins are actually lanai's that measure about 22x20 and have a full size lounge chair and chair swing. They don't look directly off the side of the ship but have a promenade area where people can walk by but, once again, that area is restricted to Havana guests only. There are interior rooms in this area also. The Havana lounge was a hotspot still night, they also serve a limited buffet breakfast in the lounge every morning. It's a great area for 2 adults. This area is currently on Vista only, but will be on the new Horizon, (sails in 2018), and probably on Vista 3 too, (sails in 2019).

We did not pay for a single meal, they do have an up charge steakhouse, sushi bar, the Asian and Italian restaurants are pay at dinner, (but included at lunch) and an ice cream/candy shop which is pay. They also have the option in the MDR to pay $15 for one of the steaks from the steakhouse, but it doesn't include the steakhouse sides, just the regular MDR sides.

We do insides because we have 2 teens and prefer to have 2 connecting insides instead of 1 balcony. We tried sharing a balcony once and decided to go back to 2 insides.

We like to stay on decks 7, 8 or 9 on most ships because we prefer to take the stairs when possible, that way it's only a few flights up or down to most activities and food places.

We are currently awaiting the Horizon itinerary announcement for 2018, so we can hopefully book that on opening day.

Princess also has a couple Hawaii trips from Long Beach every year. I got an email from them this past August trying to sell out their October Hawaii cruise, it was only $1400/person for a 12 night round trip in an inside. I'd love to do that but wife is a teacher and can't take off during that time. Have you considered a Panama Canal cruise? Those usually have decent prices.

Feel free to ask any other questions, I can talk vacations all day long! Enjoy your research on this, I think it's really cool that you can do something like that with your adult daughter.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I have sailed Disney (6), Royal (3), Celebrity (3), and Carnival (9). To me, each cruise line has it's plus and minus points.

Is your daughter active and into thrills and sports? If so, many of the newer Royal ships offer things like Zip lining (on the ship), Rock Walls, iFly, bumper cars, Flow Riders, and ice skating rinks. On the flip side, to get all of that, IMO, you need to accept firm beds, no towel animals, and lack luster MDR food.

Is your daughter into waterslides, rope courses, comedy shows, trivia, or laying out and getting sun? Then I would recommend Carnival. On the flip side, to get all of that, IMO, you need to accept a smoky casino, no tablecloths except elegant nights (which by the way, I actually prefer but some see it as a downgrade), and limited buffet hours (but good food - especially the "other" places associated with the buffet like Guys burgers, blue Iguana, Pizza Pirate with thin crust made for you pizza, Deli with made for you sandwiches, Tandoori or Chinese or Mongolian wok) and except for the 2 newest ships - Joe Farcus designs for the ship (generally very glitzy and highly themed).

Celebrity is great for adults who want to kick back and enjoy good food and lots of beverages (most of their offers involve the beverage package included).

 

[PrincessTrisha]

WOW, I loved your report. I sailed Carnival back in the day when the Holiday was just built. That gives you an idea of how long that was. Circa 1985??? I've done the Disney Magic in 2008 and then most of our trips have been either DW or DL. Our last trip being my daughters high school graduation trip to Disneyland this past May. We did 5 days and had a blast!! But, we would like to do something different. She wants to go to Hawaii and I thought about a cruise to Hawaii. They are hard to find and you have to fly to Hawaii or Vancouver first from what I've seen. I looked at Carnival and they have a couple from Long Beach, Ca. I am surprised at availability. I looked at one for 2018 and there were only a few spots left. So a couple of questions.

Are the cruises refundable?
What are the Havana Cabanas?
Are meals included? I wasn't sure if they still had the dining room options. Do they have restaurants that you can pay for food now?
Why do you prefer an inside cabin compared to a room with a port hole or balcony? Is it just personal preference or cost? I thought about the inside room but wondered if we would be claustrophobic. Also, is there one deck better than another? Thank you in advance for answering these questions. I plan on researching this and asking my DD to do some research as well. Unfortunately for me it takes me 2-3 years to save enough money to do something like this I see where people take several a year and I so wish I could do this.

Thanks,
Scrapbookqueen

What are the Havana Cabanas?
Havana Cabanas are only available on the Carnival Vista which is not the ship that sails to Hawaii.

Are meals included? I wasn't sure if they still had the dining room options. Do they have restaurants that you can pay for food now?
Yes, meals are included.

Main dining room offers Breakfast on Port days, Brunch on Sea days and Dinner every day (your choice of early dining, late dining or anytime dining)
The Lido area offers breakfast, lunch and dinner (buffet style for all). On the Lido also has various stations depending on the ship - the 2 you can pretty much always count on are the Deli (open 11am to 11pm) and Pizza (open 24 hours), plus 24 hour soft serve ice cream.
There is also room service - continental breakfast and sandwiches/salads/desserts are available free of charge; Carnival introduced in the last couple of years an additional room service menu of hot foods for a charge (like wings, fried shrimp, French fries, etc).

There are 2 Carnival ships doing Hawaii in 2018 - the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Splendor.

The Legend is scheduled for Dry Dock in May 2018 so it's a good guess that it will get some or all of the new bells and whistles of the Carnival Brand.
The Splendor is now scheduled to go to P&O cruises in 2019 and was refurbished in March 2016. It did not receive the 2.0 upgrades but it does have many additional buffet choices like a BBQ place, Tandoori, Mexican, and Mongolian Wok.

If you're sailing on the Legend, I highly recommend the category 4K - it's an interior that is the same size as an oceanview or balcony and has doors that open but no balcony. If you get one between lifeboats, you also have a view - otherwise, you can still see some light and looking down, some ocean and it's helpful to tell the weather or get some fresh air.

 

[RedSox68]

People who sail on Pride of America do so for the itinerary, and not the ship. If one expects it to be like DCL, you will be disappointed.

Oh, we had ZERO expectations because we had read the horrendous reviews on Cruise Critic before we even went. We liked the itinerary, it was the only ship doing round trip islands and we were celebrating our anniversary. Even after "being prepared" by reading the reviews, and going in with an open mind, it was actually far worse than we were even prepared for. The filth, the attitude and the food all made for a very unpleasant experience. The only plus besides the itinerary was that they had great vendors for excursions!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Well as if there are "Other Cruise Lines" but if you were thinking of doing a different cruise line which one would you do?

Royal Caribbean has a Dreamworks Cruise that sails from Galveston on the Liberty of the Seas. I got a week for three (two adults and one child) with the premium alcohol beverage package for about $2600 last February.

The ship was on par or better than any ship I have ever cruised on (including Disney) and while the service wasn't bad, it was not as good as Disney. Food was about the same and clientele was a little older.