Planning ahead, DCL, RCCL or other?

[KalamityJane]

Our 10th anniversary is in 2 years (3/2016), and we are hoping to do 1/2 Disney, 1/2 cruise (or some percentage of both). We are in Idaho, so it's closer to go to DL, but my family is in Orlando, so really, either works. Could go anytime, we will have WDW APs until mid Nov 2015, so a trip end of Nov or Dec would work.

Kids will be not quite 3yo (he will be 3 in Feb 2016), almost 5yo and 7.5yo. I'm debating going in Feb/March and doing DL and cruising out of LA so the youngest will be 3+ as the hubs and I would like some non-kids time.

I'm split between RCCL (we honeymooned with them), DCL (better younger kids activities? and hello, it's Disney, but the price kills me), Norwegian or Carnival. We could possibly snag a KSF with Norwegian. It looks like Carnival takes kids from 2+.

Also, we hate to be nickel and dimed, I'd rather pay more upfront and not worry about things than to worry the whole time about how much we are spending so whatever cruise line tends to be more all inclusive would be a big plus. We also would prefer a suite that sleeps 5+ but would do 2 connecting rooms too.

With young kids, which would you choose?

 

[KalamityJane]

Also, with Norwegian, we could do the Haven 2 bedroom suite with concierge for the price of a deluxe family oceanview room on DCL. Anyone know roughly how much the family suites cost at RCCL? For a baseline I'm looking at a 7 night cruise end of Jan 2015 to the Caribbean to guesstimate cost across the board.

 

[jenf22]

Also, with Norwegian, we could do the Haven 2 bedroom suite with concierge for the price of a deluxe family oceanview room on DCL. Anyone know roughly how much the family suites cost at RCCL? For a baseline I'm looking at a 7 night cruise end of Jan 2015 to the Caribbean to guesstimate cost across the board.

I'm not sure this will help you, but we just booked a Southern Caribbean on RCCL for this October (7-night out of San Juan). Using the current promo we got 4 adults and 1 child in a 2-bedroom suite (with concierge) for $5800. That includes prepaid tips and there is a $425 OBC. We had 2 connecting verandah rooms on DCL with the same itinerary for $7300 (without tips). We're planning to get the soda package when we get onboard so that will eat about $225 of the OBC, but it will make it more "all inclusive" like DCL - or it at least puts them on equal footing.

 

[bumbershoot]

Also, with Norwegian, we could do the Haven 2 bedroom suite with concierge for the price of a deluxe family oceanview room on DCL.

Oh that sounds SO nice.

FYI with a family of 5+ you have to call to get the prices or book. For whatever reason they don't do online booking of more than 4 in a room.


We love RCCL just as much as DCL now. The kid activities were just as fun to our eyes and DS had a good time on RCCL.


The all-inclusive...unless the kids actually do drink soda (I'm not assuming either way, just looking at their ages) the only beverages you really need to think about are the ones for you and your spouse. I only say this because my family doesn't drink soda at all (unless it's Mexican bottled Coke or sodas bottled outside of America, so as to avoid the HFCS), so on DCL our fare is helping to subsidize the soda drinking of others, LOL. It's not something we take into account when comparing the costs. So if you're more like us, you might think about that when comparing costs.

Everything else we paid for on DCL we paid for on RCCL (booze for me, lattes etc for me and DH). DCL doesn't have Ben&Jerry's as an option so that can't be compared to what one would pay extra for. I think the ONLY thing that was a temptation on RCCL that would have been paid for was Johnny Rockets, but we never went.

 

[KalamityJane]

Yeah, my kids drink water or juice, the hubs drinks beer/soda and I like mixed drinks on occasion and water/juice. I wonder if I can just get a drinks package for him, the rest of us won't use it.

The RCCL suite sounds great! That's about my price range, I was getting 6500 for NCL. I didn't realize they had 2 bedroom suites!

 

[woody73]

. . . on DCL our fare is helping to subsidize the soda drinking of others

I feel your pain. We don't drink soda, either.

Woody

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Yeah, my kids drink water or juice, the hubs drinks beer/soda and I like mixed drinks on occasion and water/juice. I wonder if I can just get a drinks package for him, the rest of us won't use it.

The RCCL suite sounds great! That's about my price range, I was getting 6500 for NCL. I didn't realize they had 2 bedroom suites!

I'm not absolutely positive but I think all or nothing have to get soda package on RCCL. Also from a lot of reviews I've read on Cruise Critic it seems a lot of the NCL ships have a problem with cigarette smoke throughout the ship as the casinos are in the middle and tend to be somewhat open. Just something to consider in case that could be an issue. I was ready to jump ship from DCL and try The Haven on NCL until I read about that. That's just my $.02, enjoy your trip.

 

[KalamityJane]

Yuck, smoke... One more point towards RCCL! I'm going to check on the drinks package, if true, we can just pay OOP then.

 

[woody73]

. . . I'm going to check on the drinks package, if true, we can just pay OOP then.

If your DH is the only one that drinks soda, paying OOP might cost less.

We cruised on DCL back when they charged for soda. When DCL announced "free soda," guess what -- they increased everyone's cruise fare to include soda.

Woody

 

[woody73]

. . . from a lot of reviews I've read on Cruise Critic it seems a lot of the NCL ships have a problem with cigarette smoke throughout the ship as the casinos are in the middle and tend to be somewhat open. Just something to consider in case that could be an issue.

Yuck, smoke... One more point towards RCCL! I'm going to check on the drinks package, if true, we can just pay OOP then.

We've sailed for six weeks on three NCL ships. Smoke from the casino was only an issue on one of them, the Epic.

I wouldn't write off an entire cruise line until seeing if a problem affected a particular ship, or the entire fleet. More importantly, does the problem affect the ship you want to sail on.

Woody

 

[bumbershoot]

Since wintertime RCCL has allowed drinks packages to be purchased for just one person if wanted. DH and I each got Replenish, and we got DS a water package (we don't like ship water on DCL or RCCL so again that's something we buy anyway, though its suddenly occurred to me that of course you can bring those on DCL "legally"). I could have gotten a booze-containing package if I thought I could have drank enough.

Smoking is in the casino on RCCL too. Walked through once, could see the smoking section signs in certain spots but my nose knew no different. I also smelled it in the Schooner Bar on freedom because they are right near each other. That was sad but it was my only issue with the small bit of smoking still allowed on RCCL.

 

[KalamityJane]

We've sailed for six weeks on three NCL ships. Smoke from the casino was only an issue on one of them, the Epic.

I wouldn't write off an entire cruise line until seeing if a problem affected a particular ship, or the entire fleet. More importantly, does the problem affect the ship you want to sail on.

Woody

Agreed, I'm researching it and it looks like with the complaints they got, they turned around and put in smoke eaters (whatever those air machines are) and it has taken care of the issue. I'm still very, very interested in the Haven suites, especially as I have kids with sensory issues and having a quiet spot to settle down is really nice. Also, the in room dining may well sell me on it, dining in restaurants with my kids (right now) is just stressful. Could be different in a couple of years but right now, I'm going to heavily look into the Haven suites and hope the costs come down a tidge. It would be worth it anyway though for our splurge trip.

 

[jenf22]

Agreed, I'm researching it and it looks like with the complaints they got, they turned around and put in smoke eaters (whatever those air machines are) and it has taken care of the issue. I'm still very, very interested in the Haven suites, especially as I have kids with sensory issues and having a quiet spot to settle down is really nice. Also, the in room dining may well sell me on it, dining in restaurants with my kids (right now) is just stressful. Could be different in a couple of years but right now, I'm going to heavily look into the Haven suites and hope the costs come down a tidge. It would be worth it anyway though for our splurge trip.

I believe you can get the in room dining in the concierge rooms on RCCL too. I think I read that somewhere.

After reading this, I think it probably would be cheaper for us to just buy soda as we went or for maybe just my mom and DH to get the package. We let the kiddo have a soda a week normally. On our DCL cruises, I let him have lemonade or lemonade mixed with iced tea. But our trip is very port intensive, so I doubt we'll drink that much soda. I'm normally a water drinker. Honestly, I'm concerned about how to spend the OBC. It looks like RCCL makes you pay for excursions when you book them. I need to figure out all the rules of these other lines!

For next summer, we booked concierge on NCL Star and a standard balcony on NCL Epic for our pseudo B2B in Europe. The Med cruises (either on Epic or Allure) are so much more expensive! I too am hoping those prices come down sometime before next June

 

[buckeyemom16]

We have sailed CCL, DCL, and NCL and are trying RCCL for the first time in May. My kids are 10 and 3. Above all I prefer CCL but as you can see, we try different lines for itinerary/price/experience.

We did CCL Freedom when DS was 18 mos and DD was 7. Best cruise we've taken to date. DS was too young for kids clubs (they do accept children at 2 and they do not have to be potty trained) but DD had the absolute best time there. She wanted to go there constantly. I prefer the food on CCL and we had the most fabulous serving team ever. I have never felt nickel and dimed on CCL and always have a great time. We were looking at the Breeze for this year and had decided on that when RCCL released the KSF and we couldn't pass on it. Longer CCL cruises are much better and family oriented. They are now offering Seuss at Sea and Family Game Night on some ships. Our only suite experience was on CCL and was nothing to write home about. Nice, large room with tub but no perks other than priority boarding.

We did DCL Fantasy when DD was 8 and DS was 2. I know we are in the minority but we were not "blown away" by DCL. We had a great time and will probably sail DCL again but nothing made me want to ONLY ever sail with them again. We didn't have the greatest dining service and after the Freedom it was a disappointment. DD did not enjoy the kids clubs as much. My theory is the large age groups on DCL. CCL and most other lines segment their groups more, (i.e. 3-5, 6-eight) and the activities are geared more toward each age group. DCL does have the club and lab to segment the groups a little but DD just didn't love it and wasn't begging to go. I think they will accept *almost* potty trained kids that are nearly 3. DS had to do the nursery which was fine but was used sparingly since we had to pay.

We took DD on NCL when she was 5 (before DS was born). It was a short cruise on the Sky so I don't feel my experience was completely representative of the line as a whole but it was just ok. I felt a little nickel and dimed but overall had a nice time. DD used the club once and said if was fine. Of the three lines I liked the food on NCL the least. With all that said. I would be willing to try NCL again if the itinerary and price were right. Those Haven suites look awesome and I would love to try it!

We are looking forward to trying RCCL. We have a port intensive itinerary (1 sea day on a 7 night) so I'm not sure how much experience we'll get with the kids clubs etc. but I'll be happy to report back. I do know they accept 3 year olds but they have to be completely potty trained (no pull-ups). Hope this helps a little. I believe there is no such thing as a bad day/night when you are at sea!

Also wanted to add that I enjoy a smoke free experience and I would give DCL the edge there since there is no casino. Happy that RCCL implemented no smoking on balconies. Our balcony experience was ruined on DCL by an overzealous cigar smoker before DCL went smoke free on balconies.

 

[woody73]

. . . We let the kiddo have a soda a week normally. On our DCL cruises, I let him have lemonade or lemonade mixed with iced tea.

On RCI, free lemonade and iced tea are available at the Windjammers buffet.

. . . It looks like RCCL makes you pay for excursions when you book them.

The disadvantage is you have to pay when you book. The advantage is better availability for a longer time, since people aren't booking with no payment and deciding later.

. . . The Med cruises (either on Epic or Allure) are so much more expensive!

The EPIC is one of NCL's newest ships. This will be the Allure's first time to the Med. So demand is high, meaning higher prices. NCL and RCI's older ships are less expensive.

Woody

 

[Fixer Upper]

Our families (12 people) just returned from a Bahamian cruise; we sailed Royal. We have decided that we will never sail with Royal again. We didn't hate, but we didn't love it. I will give you a list of what we liked and what we didn't like.


Liked

• Room Steward was the best
• Dining Room servers were fantastic
• Ship was very clean
• Rooms were "roomy" and comfortable

Didn't like

• Buffet food was the same every day with the exception of a small themed area and wasn't good.
• Dining Room food was mediocre, served lukewarm nightly and lacked variety.
• The daily compass had a lot of things listed, but there really wasn't much to do. They showed the same 3 movies over and over during the cruise and the only entertainment was in the evening.
• There were a lot of places to go on the ship, but seldom anything going on there.
• You could smell cigarette smoke all over the main areas of the ship; it must have had a poor filtration system from the casino.

 

[rammh]

Our families (12 people) just returned from a Bahamian cruise; we sailed Royal. We have decided that we will never sail with Royal again. We didn't hate, but we didn't love it. I will give you a list of what we liked and what we didn't like. Liked [*]Room Steward was the best [*]Dining Room servers were fantastic [*]Ship was very clean [*]Rooms were "roomy" and comfortable Didn't like [*]Buffet food was the same every day with the exception of a small themed area and wasn't good. [*]Dining Room food was mediocre, served lukewarm nightly and lacked variety. [*]The daily compass had a lot of things listed, but there really wasn't much to do. They showed the same 3 movies over and over during the cruise and the only entertainment was in the evening. [*]There were a lot of places to go on the ship, but seldom anything going on there. [*]You could smell cigarette smoke all over the main areas of the ship; it must have had a poor filtration system from the casino.

Which ship were you on? We are doing the Bahamas next week