Spoiled by Disney Cruise Line

[PlutoFan76]

I haven't cruised in a number of years, but the only cruises I have been on were onboard the Wonder and the Magic. I was told by friends at the time that if I ever cruised with another cruise line I would regret it, that by cruising with Disney my standards were being set high.

I'm considering a cruise and find there is not a Disney cruise available on the dates I want with an itinerary I want. I'm looking at other cruise lines, but I am worried I will be disappointed and regret the trip.

What are the thought of those of you who have experienced other cruise lines?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

It's down to what you like, I was disappointed with the down market RCCL, the poor entertainment, the poor cruise director the seaside holiday camp entertainment, fat man jumping in a pool to cause a wake.

The shops are nice, they have ice rinks and shopping malls but nickel and dime you, your just a wallet to them.

Some may like the casino, and the bars but I didn't like it.

 

[Ajojo]

This is tough, but yes we are spoiled by Disney and we are adults with no kids. I even sail DCL solo when I can. I have gotten a good price and went on Royal Carribbean to Europe. I went because of the itinerary and loved the ports and did not regret the trip. No magic though, but the food was good.

I have been on 2 other cruise lines where I have been bored out of my mind and didn't like the trip. I guess it depends on why you want to cruise. If it's itinerary, then yes I would consider another trip. If it's because I want to go and have fun then it's only DCL for me.

 

[princessnicchia]

I might be in the minority here (and FULL disclosure I've never even cruised on Disney yet, I'm going on my first one this April), but I think that almost every experience is really what you make of it. I've been on Princess and RCCL, and both times I had a great time! They were completely different experiences (one Alaska, one Bahamas) and I didn't spend a lot of time comparing. If you make up your mind to have a great time, then you'll have a great time. If you make up your mind that nothing will ever compare to Disney and you are going to be miserable....well, that will just naturally follow. There are exceptions (norovirus comes to mind) where your attitude is irrelevant, but most things in life are really mind over matter.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was told by friends at the time that if I ever cruised with another cruise line I would regret it, that by cruising with Disney my standards were being set high.

Eh. We now prefer Royal over Disney. Get more bang for your buck, and I prefer the look of Royal's ships. And the staff is just as good as on Disney, in our experience. Apart from one thing, everything we paid extra for on Royal we also paid extra for on Disney. (the one extra thing was Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and Disney doesn't even HAVE that option, so hubby and son go without ice cream on Disney ships because all they have is the junky ice cream and "soft serve" onboard)

fat man jumping in a pool to cause a wake

In case you aren't aware, as offensive as you felt the pool contest was, it's actually just as, if not more, offensive for you to say things like that. There ARE people on this site whose husbands (or selves) might have participated in it. You might very well be insulting people here.

So you don't care for the entertainment. If, perhaps, you looked around while you were not enjoying it, you might have noticed that just about everyone else at the poolside WAS enjoying it.

 

[quickcat]

We just got off the Ruby princess last month and while it was a nice ship, we definitely missed Disney! We missed all the little things, even the music in the hallways I have to say after sailing on carnival and princess, we will definitely be with Disney for a while. We have sailed 7 times with Disney previously and I came home and canceled our NCL I had reserved for this Feb and switched it to Disney.
I would say to try it, some people do not mind switching at all and sail all different lines and enjoy it. We do not so we'll stick with Disney

 

[perditax]

Haven't sailed Disney yet, but have been obsessing over it for months (so have at least a second-hand idea of how things go). But I did a last-minute cruise on the NCL Getaway a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I suspect there were things I enjoyed about it that will be lacking in my upcoming DCL cruise (such as a very comfortable library with an ocean view, and a large adults-only thermal suite with lots of available loungers and uncrowded water features).

 

[SwimMom2]

I really think any trip is a disappointment when your expectations are out of alignment. If you expect another line to be like Disney, then you will be disappointed. Read up and inform yourself so that your expectations conform to reality, and you won't be disappointed. If you are on this site, then you are likely a researcher so this won't be a problem.

I love Disney, but when I want a relaxing week away with privacy, I have another particular harbor- that is not their product.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I haven't cruised in a number of years, but the only cruises I have been on were onboard the Wonder and the Magic. I was told by friends at the time that if I ever cruised with another cruise line I would regret it, that by cruising with Disney my standards were being set high.

I'm considering a cruise and find there is not a Disney cruise available on the dates I want with an itinerary I want. I'm looking at other cruise lines, but I am worried I will be disappointed and regret the trip.

What are the thought of those of you who have experienced other cruise lines?

I was in a similar situation a couple years ago. I wanted to cruise Canada with my family and we ended up doing Holland America. Over all of course I love Disney and the service, the ship, the food and the kids clubs on DCL are sooooooooo much better than the older HAL ship I cruised. Also, DCL is so FAMILY friendly, i.e., embracing of kids and families as a whole, and with our kids on HAL we were definitely a minority.

But there were actually a few things on the Holland America I liked that Disney doesn't have, like a library, and more trivia (well, non Disney trivia, which I can never win on DCL!). And the ports were fantastic, as was spending time with my extended family, which is why we went. I would have preferred to be on DCL, but I still had a fantastic time. I am doing Alaska on Celebrity in 2 months. I had DCL booked, but I got 4 nights more on Celebrity for about the same money, and with Alaska I wanted to have more time. I already know there will be issues with the fact I have small kids (there is a lot of hostility towards kids on Celebrity boards), but I am very excited about the cruise.

DCL only has 4 ships and limited itineraries. If you love to cruise and want variety, you are going to have to cruise non-DCL at some point, and if you are going for the ports I am sure you will have a good time no matter what.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Have only done Dream class ships and am actually concerned about our upcoming cruise on the Wonder, thinking we might not enjoy it as much. Have a Mediterranean cruise booked on CCL new Vista for next year and we are just going into it with the attitude of it wont be DCL but it sure beats being at home or work.

 

[KayW]

We did a Norwegian cruise last summer. Our family liked the 7 night experience, 3 days in one port (Bermuda), and that we didn't have to fly to get there. However, what we missed for our DD was the kids clubs. She was almost 10 and they wouldn't bump her up (fine), but they were only open for a few hours at a time. We had to get her at lunch time, but we would do that any way so she could eat with us. During the times when the clubs weren't open there weren't many family activities planned so we would wander around trying to find something to do.

It is everyone's personal experience, but we preferred Disney.

 

[tinkerone]

we love disney however we have booked the rccl oasis when it starts sailing from port canaveral. we are very excited about it and look forward to it. i keep seeing people say they nickel and dime you but i have yet to figure out what they are talking about. as with the disney ships, if you want specialty dining (and rccl offers more) then you pay the price. as with disney, if you want to shop (and there are more shops, higher end) then you pay. rccl does not charge a corkage fee, dcl does so one point to rcl.
the only big difference i have found is that you pay for your pop package where you get that free with dcl. so i'm saving over $2000 but I have to pay $100 for pop? no big deal in my eyes. the other plus for rcl that i would think people would like is that you can purchase an alcohol package where you can't on dcl. we don't drink much so not an issue for us.
we have a b2b on fantasy coming up soon and will probably book more while we are on board however i'm thinking that the oasis may be a game changer for us.
whatever you decide, look for the plus of the trip and you will enjoy it.
happy sailing!

 

[RebelHawk]

My wife and I went on a few Carnival cruises in our younger days. Years later we decided on trying a Disney cruise and loved it. We have then sailed once more concierge with two more upcoming DCL concierge cruises. Once we hit our Gold status I think we will try some other lines such as RCI or Celebrity.

 

[Mousesmom]

I love the Disney difference! Having said that, we have also sailed on Princess, Carnival and Holland America because of availability and price.

I would do Princes again - service was great, entertainment good, food good.

I was bored on the Holland cruise. While the food and service were decent, there was not enough going on to keep my interest. I brought down the average age by a lot (and I am no kid!).

Even with free passage you won't get me on another Carnival ship - poor service, ok food, not clean, rude crew members..... LOUD!

Despite all of it, I would try other lines, at least once, for the right price and itinerary.

 

[Patsydust]

I personally have only done Disney myself, but I know people who have done both or told me of their experience non-Disney. Doesn't make me a pro, but I thought I'd share my thoughts. So I certainly don't think you'd regret any trip! Traveling on the BIG BLUE! I mean it's all luxury! Vacation ftw! But Disney is one of the priciest, and I think that the additional cost is what puts a the extra shine and fluff to the trip! I love the rotating servers that get to know you and it's like being in a family. Another part I like is the whole Disney spirit and family dynamic all around the rest of the ship. I also love that environment doesn't focus on the drinking and casinos (not that all do, just an impression I got from a few friends). But I hear that Disney tends to have a cleaner cruise and the service is top notch. But I wouldn't say I know anyone who regretted the others. I know a platinum member who has been on many different cruises and definitely prefers Disney hands down, and she's pro! But the cost versus the experience and places you go, another cruise might be just right for you! Either way, do what feels right and have a blast! There is always another cruise right around the corner! And if you don't like another cruise? Just stick it under your experiences and do another Disney!

 

[karmacats]

What are the thought of those of you who have experienced other cruise lines?

I cruise disney and royal caribbean pretty regularly (every year) and have cruised norwegian and celebrity in the past. Of those three non-disney lines, i think royal is closest to disney in terms of overall feel, onboard activities, fellow cruisers, etc. celebrity was gorgeous and classy but we were bored (were in our mid-30s last celebrity cruise and entertainment is definitely geared toward those twice our age, and everything shut down early); norwegian, on the other hand, felt a little tacky and like a step down (though we were on an older ship, the gem, and i'm curious to try one of the newer bigger ones like the breakaway and getaway).

i do think disney has the best overall service of any of the 4 lines i've been on - you rarely hear "no" from them. that said, our MDR servers on royal have consistently been better than disney, and royal service is still way better than you normally find in a hotel or restaurant on land. food is fairly equivalent - i'd give royal the edge in the MDR, disney the edge in the buffet and specialty dining. both have good evening entertainment, but i actually prefer royal's - depending on the ship, they have broadway-style shows (mamma mia, hairspray), cirque du soleil style shows, and diving/water shows. i don't go to things like the "bellyflop contest" which i think is what Disney Fantasy was referencing above, but there's still plenty of stuff to do - i find myself way busier on royal than disney (though always take time on either line to kick back on the balcony and read a book ).

i dont get the nickle and diming comments about royal, either. that said, i DID feel nickle and dimed on norwegian, but there are specific reasons why - to get a snack at their coffee bar you had to pay for a coffee (disney and royal both offer free snacks at their coffee bars), and the MDR food on norwegian was so horrible we had to pay for dinner at specialty restaurants every night just to get something edible.

not knowing things like your demographics (age etc) and where you want to go, it's hard to make specific recommendations. that said, you won't know until you try. it sounds like you're more interested in getting to certain ports, so my two cents would be to choose a cruise that goes there, and try a new line if you have to. fwiw, i resisted trying royal because my travel agent said it would be a step down from celebrity, only finally went on royal because some friends dragged us on with them, and it ended up being my favorite line. so, you never know!

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

We've sailed DCL, RCCL, and Carnival, and enjoyed all of them. I also figured they'd nickel and dime us on Royal, they didn't, at all. The dining room is included, just like DCL, you have the same server every night, just like DCL (unless you're doing My Time dining), they have specialty restaurants, (but they weren't Palo, so that's definitely a point to Disney!) for an extra charge like DCL. I like the soda package, because we could go to any bar anywhere in the ship and get a refill, no running all the way up to deck 9 or 10.

If you decide to cruise another line, then just go in with an open mind. If you're convinced you're going to have a bad trip, you will.

 

[Ofinn]

Are you cruising for the ship or the itinerary? My first choice would always be DCL if I could afford it. I haven't tried other lines yet, but I'm sure I will in the not so distant future. Other cruise lines have more itinerary's at more reasonable prices. There are a number of European cruises I'd like to do, but I flat out won't pay DCL prices. It won't stop me from cruising to where I want to go. On a port intensive cruise the ship is secondary. Like pp said you have to go in with an open mind. A vacation is what you make of it.

 

[erocrobro]

Our first cruise was on the Fantasy. Talk about setting the bar high! We loved everything about it. Since then, we have cruised on Carnival. It was a totally different experience and while there were things we definite missed, there were some things we actually liked better.

There was much more nightlife and, oddly, we did a lot more activities as a family. I think it was because my kids didn't care for Carnival's clubs so we always hung out together, which was great! I only saw the cruise director on the Fantasy at the nightly shows and I really didn't give him much thought. Our CD on CCL was EVERYWHERE! He would engage you in conversation every time you saw him and ask how things were going and what he could do to make the cruise great. He also added a lot of energy to his shows and activities. I found that I was much more relaxed on Carnival because I didn't feel like we had to do every single thing. I was so worried on DCL that we would miss something and we were exhausted.

I wanted to cruise Disney again, but it was really a once in a lifetime splurge. I simply can't afford to do it again. We do however have a cruise booked on NCL's Getaway. My kids are really excited about things like the ropes course and rock wall. I think you can have a great time on almost any line as long as you research ships and ports and go into it with a positive attitude!

 

[lorimay]

We have only done DCL, I am afraid to try another line. Whether its just me and hubby or our family.
We love the service and the cleanliness. We know exactly what we are getting when we step on the ship.
We like to do cruises that go to new ports and stay on our "floating hotel".