Royal Caribbean vs DCL?

Yes they are! Blue Iguana and Guy's Pig and Anchor as well. I know that there is a lot of RCL love on this board, but I wonder if any of these folks have tried Mardi Gras. IMHO, it is a game-changer for Carnival. Way nicer than their other ships. Can't wait for Celebration and Jubilee to come out. Surprisingly, we found that there is just so much more included on Mardi Gras than our Oasis sailing. Much of the food that was included on Mardi Gras was upcharge on Oasis...
Yeah, Carnival gets a bad wrap because it was always seen as the party ship and the cheap ship. But their newer ships really do a good job. I especially love how many different venues they have playing live music at night. I love RCL as well, but I started getting tired of the same old ships and wanted something new. I'm very excited about the Celebration and Jubilee as well. Can't wait to try them out.
 
We NEVER get the bid upgrade and have done low and high bids. How’d you manage snagging one? How much over the minimum did you go? Thanks.

My problem with Royal since we cruise often is they don’t vary the main dining menu on any ship or location! What’s on the menu Day 1 in the Caribbean is the same as Day 1 Alaska or Med.! They need a new executive chef too. My lasagne and goulash and even grilled NY strip steak outshines theirs every time. It’s their recipes. Love main dining on Disney ships! Also love the theater and first run movies! The aqua-duck is prettt great too!
I don't recall exactly, but there was a little dial to show how strong your bid was, and I did it like one third of the way, well below what was considered a strong bid.

We got the upgrade about two weeks out and it was clearly a cancellation. But when we got on the ship, we only had two keys (for the couple who had cancelled) and only two of the branded face masks, etc. When we tried to go to the special breakfast for suite guests they were skeptical because it was only supposed to be two people, etc. It required quite a bit of time with guest services and the concierge to get it worked out. It was kind of a pain how poorly they handled it.
 
@maui2k5 there has been some good feedback on this thread and not as much negativity as I expected to see on the DisBoards. Wanted to make a few additional comments. First some of the things are subjective so you will have to read that in on some of the items. Since we have done plenty on both cruise lines (Platinum with DCL like 15 cruises across the first 4 ships and Diamond with RCI 4 of the 6 ship classes, including 4 of the 5 Oasis class) I would say some of the trends mentioned are consistent with our findings. Couple of notes to added.

- Allure has Mamma Mia, thought I saw a post that stated it was Grease
- The ages of your family, they seem like they would do good with many of the activities you will find on Royal
- If they do the kids clubs, they seem pretty comparable, our son vacillated between whatever one he sailed last was his favorite, until he hit 11-12 y.o. then he shifted more to royal
- The specialty dining is a nice step up, and really not too far of a money stretch, especially since the initial fee is less and you can find sales on some dining packages
- Allure has two notable differences in Specialty dining - Samba Grill (Solarium dining becomes Brazilian Steakhouse in the evening) and Chef's Table (not a unique concept but a unique location for an Oasis class ship)
- Agree MDR gets a slight edge on DCL, other free items are similar or better on Royal
- Even if you skip specialty dining there are still some other low fee charge places that are nice like Johnny Rockets

Since there was so much good info already, not going to add more but also happy to answer and specifics. Last DCL was pre-COVID in September 2019. Last Royal was less than 30 days ago on Allure, and we have an upcoming sailing on Navigator (Adventures sister ship) in November.
 
We are looking at taking our first cruise after baby is born December of 2024. We have been on RC Allure of the seas, which we enjoyed very much.

We would have to travel during the Christmas-New Years Holiday time.

We are curious people‘s thoughts about cruising on RC or on DCL, and which we would enjoy more with the two of us and our infant. I’m imagining both ships would be bursting at the seems, but am trying to figure out which one would be more relaxing, have better food for adults, and overall be a nice de-stressing experience. We would spring for at least a room with a balcony.

Any information about cribs, baby equipment, etc. as it relates to cruise would also be helpful. And, if anyone wants to say “you’re nuts, wait a year”, feel free to say that as well! We are new to this, so we just don’t know!
 


We are looking at taking our first cruise after baby is born December of 2024. We have been on RC Allure of the seas, which we enjoyed very much.

We would have to travel during the Christmas-New Years Holiday time.

We are curious people‘s thoughts about cruising on RC or on DCL, and which we would enjoy more with the two of us and our infant. I’m imagining both ships would be bursting at the seems, but am trying to figure out which one would be more relaxing, have better food for adults, and overall be a nice de-stressing experience. We would spring for at least a room with a balcony.

Any information about cribs, baby equipment, etc. as it relates to cruise would also be helpful. And, if anyone wants to say “you’re nuts, wait a year”, feel free to say that as well! We are new to this, so we just don’t know!
We went on our first cruise with our new born when he was 8 months. We went on the carnival mardi gras. The thing we liked so much about that cruise is all of the music venues. We would set up a blanket and toys in the back of one of the lounges, sit with him on the floor and let him play while we listened to music and had a drink. During the day, we would get these large covered cabanas by the pool and he would sit on it with his toys while we laid out for the day. It was an awesome time. My only issue with Disney is that many of the adult venues don't allow children after a certain time. However, we also went on a cruise with him again when he was 14 months old on Disney and had an absolute blast. At this point he was walking, so he was playing with all the characters, playing in the splash pad and had a wonderful time. Of course, on the ships there is the small world nursery where you can pay and drop the kid off, so that is an option as well.
 
We have done 4 RC cruises (2 out of Galveston, 2 Europe) and 5 DCL (2 Galveston, 3 Port Canaveral). I much prefer the DCL ship decor, the included food offerings, entertainment, and service. All are higher quality than RC. But RC is a LOT more affordable. We have varying income levels in our extended family, and everyone can afford RC. Having a vacation that's accessible to the larger family group makes for some priceless family experiences that we could not have all together on DCL. For us, we often choose vacationing with aunts, uncles and cousins over better food, entertainment or decor. For others, cruising less expensively with RC may mean you can cruise longer, upgrade to a better room, and recruit more family or friends to join in. I would encourage anyone who's interested in RC to try it themselves and see whether the trade offs are worth it to them.
 


I was surprised to see that their Icon of the Seas prices are equivalent to DCL prices. DCL is historically more expensive
 
We (me, wife, girls 12/13) have been on DCL 5x (Magic 1x, Wonder 3x, Dream 1x) in the last 10 years and are considering a cruise on RCL out of Galveston (we live near Houston).

For those who have gone on both RCL and DCL, what are your thoughts? Obviously the theming/characters and lack of “Disney touches” would be noticed, but what do you feel is as good or better than DCL in comparison (if anything) and what is not as good?

The ships sailing out of Galveston are Adventure of the Seas and Allure of the Seas (Oasis class - the big ones).

Thanks!
My husband and I just returned from our first RC cruise on Adventure of the Seas out of Galveston. After 9 DCL cruises, we were disappointed. We found the service lacking, the attention to detail almost non-existent, the food (except desserts) sub par, and the constant nickel and diming annoying.
For examples, we noticed right of the bat the our bathroom sink drain wasn’t working properly. We called the number for maintenance and got hung up on. So we told our stateroom host who said he’d call maintenance. He told us later that they fixed it, but it was not fixed. This ship is two years newer than DCL’s oldest ship and the stateroom looked about 10 years older. The woodwork was chipped, the bathroom tile was stained, the light on our balcony didn’t work and there was rust in several places on the deck. The outside handle to the verandah was missing literally half of its paint down to the primer coat. Two of our “clean” towels had brown stains on them. We found the food in Windjammer mediocre and the MDR food fairly tasteless (with exception to the French onion soup and the desserts… they were tasty).
We also found the layout of the ship a little frustrating. For example, the running track is on a deck in the middle of loungers where people are laying out, so the poor runners had to dodge lounge chairs on the sea day.
We did think the adult area was much nicer and larger than DCL, though it was pretty loud.
Ultimately, we just didn’t feel the quality and attention to detail was as good as what we find on DCL.
 
Yeah, Carnival gets a bad wrap because it was always seen as the party ship and the cheap ship. But their newer ships really do a good job. I especially love how many different venues they have playing live music at night. I love RCL as well, but I started getting tired of the same old ships and wanted something new. I'm very excited about the Celebration and Jubilee as well. Can't wait to try them out.
The problem with Carnival is that it attracts individuals that most on here would rather not be around...especially with the children. There is nothing wrong with their ships.
 
There are many threads on this topic. If you want the full gamut of thoughts and opinions, run a search. You will get a ton of perspectives.

This topic should be a sticky, maybe?
 
Then folks complain about it being on the DCL board and that it should be on the RCCL one, but other folks complain that the RCCL one doesn't get enough eyes on it. Then we'd want one for Carnival, and NCL, and Viking, and... then half this board is stickies for other lines.
I guess people here will complain about anything.

But how many times must the same question get posted over and over before a sticky makes sense? “Vs.” RCCL threads are far and away the most common “competition” threads.
 
I don’t think there is a better place to ask the question than on a DCL forum. If you asked this on a Royal forum like cruise critic you probably wouldn’t find a lot of Royal loyalist that have cruised Disney. Over there they tend to think Disney prices and the people that pay them are nuts.

I like both. I like DCL better, but the price difference has to be reasonable. Caribbean cruises the price gap may be smaller. Cruising Europe on DCL can be quadruple the price of RCI.
 
So I have Icon booked next March spring break and also same time booked wonder out of Galveston. Disney 6 day and RC icon 7 days. Same price. And that was with sale. Same room type. Verandah. Actually RC room is slightly smaller. When I add on key privileges for three of us that’s $900. Three days of upgraded dining is another $450. Now it’s more than Disney wonder. We are platinum in Disney. We are doing wonder this summer in Alaska and I’m going to get a feel if we can handle magic for six days in summer or will we be bored.
I talked to my wife about the better night life on RC but she said…we usually are dead tired by 1030 so it doesn’t matter.

Just torn
 
So I have Icon booked next March spring break and also same time booked wonder out of Galveston. Disney 6 day and RC icon 7 days. Same price. And that was with sale. Same room type. Verandah. Actually RC room is slightly smaller. When I add on key privileges for three of us that’s $900. Three days of upgraded dining is another $450. Now it’s more than Disney wonder. We are platinum in Disney. We are doing wonder this summer in Alaska and I’m going to get a feel if we can handle magic for six days in summer or will we be bored.
I talked to my wife about the better night life on RC but she said…we usually are dead tired by 1030 so it doesn’t matter.

Just torn
Did you look closely at the Key? We didn't find anything of interest in it for us, seemed like a big waste. I have read others who feel that way as well, more than those who thought it was worth the cost. Just make sure you understand what you actually get with it and that it is in fact something of value.

With your comparison, I'm not at all surprised with the cost difference. The Icon hasn't even set sail yet, its a new ship for 2024. The Wonder is 25 years old. You will always pay a premium for a new ship, everyone wants to sail it. It's like the price difference with the Dream and the Wish. The Wish cost much more for the same number of nights and itinerary but it's in demand at the moment. As well, adding the cost of upgrading your dining shouldn't be a factor in the cost comparison. If you do, you should also add in what it would cost for three nights of specialty dining on DCL.
Anyway, that's how I see it. I'm sure which ever you decide on it will be amazing. Vacations are to few and far between. Enjoy it!
 
We've done 4 Disney cruises (with #s 5, 6 & 7 already booked for next year) and are doing our 1st RCL cruise next month on Wonder of the Seas (we're 2 middle aged adults, no kids). I'm both excited and nervous!
We're platinum on DCL and we were apprehensive before our cruise on the Wonder of the Seas.. It was just a test to find out if the RCCL super ships were an option. The Wonder of the Seas passed with flying colors. We would do it again if for some reason we couldn't do DCL.
 
So I have Icon booked next March spring break and also same time booked wonder out of Galveston. Disney 6 day and RC icon 7 days. Same price. And that was with sale. Same room type. Verandah. Actually RC room is slightly smaller. When I add on key privileges for three of us that’s $900. Three days of upgraded dining is another $450. Now it’s more than Disney wonder. We are platinum in Disney. We are doing wonder this summer in Alaska and I’m going to get a feel if we can handle magic for six days in summer or will we be bored.
I talked to my wife about the better night life on RC but she said…we usually are dead tired by 1030 so it doesn’t matter.

Just torn
Icon does not impress me. Massive ship. I go to bed early as well and don’t want to be on board a six day nightclub. Just me.
 
So I have Icon booked next March spring break and also same time booked wonder out of Galveston. Disney 6 day and RC icon 7 days. Same price. And that was with sale. Same room type. Verandah. Actually RC room is slightly smaller. When I add on key privileges for three of us that’s $900. Three days of upgraded dining is another $450. Now it’s more than Disney wonder. We are platinum in Disney. We are doing wonder this summer in Alaska and I’m going to get a feel if we can handle magic for six days in summer or will we be bored.
I talked to my wife about the better night life on RC but she said…we usually are dead tired by 1030 so it doesn’t matter.

Just torn
If the cost is the same or similar, I would do DCL. I do like Royal, I think they have a much better pool set up than Disney and I booked their fjords cruise next year on Anthem for about 60% of the cost of Disney. If there is real savings I would not hestitate to sail on of their newer ships!

But for the same price, always Disney.
 

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