This might be taboo but... cruise lines comparable to Disney for families?

[Tulip2796]

We just sailed on our 1st Disney cruise (1st cruise ever actually) for 7-nights. My kids loved it, it was awesome and it was magical. We only booked it 2.5 weeks prior to sailing and so it was a great surprise and we didn't have to endure months and months of counting down.

But now that all is said and done, we spent close to $9K on a 7-night vacation for a family of 4 with 2 young children (2 and 6) in a room with a verandah. And this was with a discount we got at time of booking (non-discount price was $1200 more). We did 2 short excursions as a family of 4 and 2 excursions were just 2 family members. We didn't go crazy with souvenirs, no spa spending, just a drink during dinner a few times.

I can't help but think we could have had a different really awesome vacation somewhere else for that kind of money. We did like cruising though, it was really convenient, especially since we drove to the port. Are there other cruise lines that are comparable to DCL in terms of service, food, class of ship, children/family activities?

I realize this might not be well received since there are many people (as far as I can tell from the boards) who are true DCL fans and cruise DCL repeatedly but I am curious. I do think we'll do another DCL cruise in 2 years but I'm not sure I want 7-nights, I'd happily do 4.

 

[Hundredacre]

Here is a great thread on this...
http://www.disboards.com/threads/we-chose-the-dark-side-carnival-vs-disney.3502886/

 

[bumbershoot]

We like Royal Caribbean (more than Disney).

The Dis likes Royal, to, because the TA that owns/runs the boards now sells Royal cruises and there's even a forum here for Royal.

So far I feel like Freedom class feels like the same size as Dream (though that's not a necessity) and has lots of activities.

We've also been on Vision class (and for our honeymoon Radiance class), and we're going on Adventure of the Seas in December. Looking forward to it!!!

I find that DCL and RCCL have simliar food; sometimes decent, sometimes not, but they average out to be about the same. I don't cruise for the food, though.

Main difference for us is that Mickey isn't onboard (which doesn't sadden my famliy) and there's no free soda. We don't drink soda so we are HAPPY to not subsidize it for the soda drinkers. If you do drink soda, for $8/day/per person (no need to buy it for all if only some in your family drink it) you can get unlimited soda. It's hard to find a Royal cruise where paying that would make that big of a difference vs DCL price.


The price is a factor, though not the only one.

I like looking at price per night.

Our lowest price per night was on Vision, at an average of $324.498/night in an oceanview (panoramic window) room.

Our highest price per night for non-concierge on Dream was an average of $575.415/night. For an INSIDE cabin.

Our absolute highest per night cost was Dream, concierge category V, at 720.22/night. That was an upgrade that cost us $380 total, which helps show how high the non-concierge cabin was going to be.

And that cruise was 3 nights, and was in Feb 2013. Our Adventure cruise in Dec; 7 days out of San Juan, is not even $700 more total. Nearly 4 years of price increases later. I can't even imagine what that Feb 3 night category V would cost us in 2017.

 

[Ofinn]

Yes. Theres a lot of dcl fans on tis board, but many including myself think prices are out of control. Dont feel bad about asking. Royal, norwegian, and carnival are probably the most family friendly.

 

[wl1117]

Don't feel bad asking. We are headed on our 7th DCL cruise in a month and I still wonder the exact same thing. I hope you get a lot more responses, because while we love cruising DCL, the prices for when we now have to travel (with 1 kid in school and another soon to follow) are getting more than we want to invest for the same itineraries. I keep looking at NCL and RCCL. But we've yet to make the jump.

 

[Hundredacre]

I should have added that we are with you and making the jump this year. There is a whole world out there. And I have realized that we have been crazy putting all of our vacation money into the increasingly overpriced venture that is dcl!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We just sailed on our 1st Disney cruise (1st cruise ever actually) for 7-nights. My kids loved it, it was awesome and it was magical. We only booked it 2.5 weeks prior to sailing and so it was a great surprise and we didn't have to endure months and months of counting down.

But now that all is said and done, we spent close to $9K on a 7-night vacation for a family of 4 with 2 young children (2 and 6) in a room with a verandah. And this was with a discount we got at time of booking (non-discount price was $1200 more). We did 2 short excursions as a family of 4 and 2 excursions were just 2 family members. We didn't go crazy with souvenirs, no spa spending, just a drink during dinner a few times.

I can't help but think we could have had a different really awesome vacation somewhere else for that kind of money. We did like cruising though, it was really convenient, especially since we drove to the port. Are there other cruise lines that are comparable to DCL in terms of service, food, class of ship, children/family activities?

I realize this might not be well received since there are many people (as far as I can tell from the boards) who are true DCL fans and cruise DCL repeatedly but I am curious. I do think we'll do another DCL cruise in 2 years but I'm not sure I want 7-nights, I'd happily do 4.

Certainly no taboo to explore other options. While I don't have experience with the kid's clubs on Princess, I've read that they are pretty good.

We did a Princess cruise, and enjoyed it. The service, while not really what I'd compare to DCL servers, was OK. Just seemed like the servers had lots of tables they were handling and couldn't quite keep up. The food was good, on the par with DCL. Only been on the one ship, but we have plans for more Princess cruises.

We like Holland America (3 cruises). The food was great, and the servers warmed up quite nicely (once you let them know they aren't just waiters). But, the kid's clubs on HAL tend to be fairly small, with not as many activities as DCL. Their ships are more sedate in their decor, and the rooms are quite a bit smaller (equivalent categories).

 

[megster1123]

I've wondered this myself. We've cruised both Carnival (2x and never again) and Royal Caribbean (3x) before. Definitely prefer RC. Admittedly, we've never cruised DCL, but looking at the math i figure we can literally double either the length of trip by cruising RC or take two trips on RC for the cost of one DCL. I find myself wondering, is the "magic" of DCL worth that exponential cost difference?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I've wondered this myself. We've cruised both Carnival (2x and never again) and Royal Caribbean (3x) before. Definitely prefer RC. Admittedly, we've never cruised DCL, but looking at the math i figure we can literally double either the length of trip by cruising RC or take two trips on RC for the cost of one DCL. I find myself wondering, is the "magic" of DCL worth that exponential cost difference?

Only if the Disney experience is "worth it" to you.

 

[megster1123]

Only if the Disney experience is "worth it" to you.

But what is this experience? Characters on board? Free soda? I feel like there's something I'm missing.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

But what is this experience? Characters on board? Free soda? I feel like there's something I'm missing.

Lots of Disney shows (read that as not so much "adult" entertainment), character meet & greets, general Disney-ambiance. Much like being at Disneyland (or Magic Kingdom) but not so overwhelming.

For me, the DCL ships are cleaner, and the crew onboard more approachable than I've experienced on other cruiselines. Staterooms are bigger than equivalent rooms on other lines. The rotational dining experience is fun.

 

[Jennifer777]

Lots of Disney shows (read that as not so much "adult" entertainment), character meet & greets, general Disney-ambiance. Much like being at Disneyland (or Magic Kingdom) but not so overwhelming.

For me, the DCL ships are cleaner, and the crew onboard more approachable than I've experienced on other cruiselines. Staterooms are bigger than equivalent rooms on other lines. The rotational dining experience is fun.

This pretty much sums up why we have been choosing Disney. With young kids, the family-friendly entertainment, characters and staterooms have made them a preferred option for us. We love the food and with the exception of our last cruise, have found the ships to be sparkling clean and the service to be wonderful. Now that our kids are getting older though and my son saw a video of RCCLs Oasis of the Seas, he seems ready to try another cruise line. I go back and forth and have done a lot of digging around and based on the reviews I've read, it seems like Royal is the 2nd best option for family cruising (Freedom class and above), followed by NCL. It's hard to branch out when we have really enjoyed our Disney cruises and we will continue to sail Disney but we will also be giving RCCL a try down the road. I have to say, when our kids were younger it was worth the extra money to cruise Disney.

While this isn't a cruise, I'd thought I would throw this out there as well for comparison purposes since you spent close to $9k on your 7 night cruise. We recently booked 8 nights in a 1 BR concierge suite at Beaches Turks and Caicos for less than $9k and that is truly all-inclusive, including alcohol, tips, an excursion and wi-fi. I bring this up just to highlight that you have a lot of options for family vacations with that much money. Maybe it's worth it for you to continue sailing Disney while your kids are young, maybe it's not.

 

[BigredNole]

On a comparative level, I have priced a Disney cruise at $6,000 for a family of 3. I compared to a similar cruise line, albeit out of Ft Lauderdale. We could go on excursions at every port, have drink packages, tips paid for, and fly down. It would be almost $1,000 less than the DCL by itself. Our first cruise will be Disney. If we enjoy cruising, we will try others for the price savings.

 

[TXDCLfan]

We just sailed on our 1st Disney cruise (1st cruise ever actually) for 7-nights. My kids loved it, it was awesome and it was magical. We only booked it 2.5 weeks prior to sailing and so it was a great surprise and we didn't have to endure months and months of counting down.

But now that all is said and done, we spent close to $9K on a 7-night vacation for a family of 4 with 2 young children (2 and 6) in a room with a verandah. And this was with a discount we got at time of booking (non-discount price was $1200 more). We did 2 short excursions as a family of 4 and 2 excursions were just 2 family members. We didn't go crazy with souvenirs, no spa spending, just a drink during dinner a few times.

I can't help but think we could have had a different really awesome vacation somewhere else for that kind of money. We did like cruising though, it was really convenient, especially since we drove to the port. Are there other cruise lines that are comparable to DCL in terms of service, food, class of ship, children/family activities?

I realize this might not be well received since there are many people (as far as I can tell from the boards) who are true DCL fans and cruise DCL repeatedly but I am curious. I do think we'll do another DCL cruise in 2 years but I'm not sure I want 7-nights, I'd happily do 4.

Having done countless Disney cruises we have found that the newer NCL cruises are awesome and way more affordable than DCL. The food quality and options on NCL are better also,ships are very clean and crew are just as friendly as DCL.

 

[princess22]

We are a family of four and are pretty loyal to Princess Cruise Line. We decided to splurge and go Disney this summer and just got off the Dream on Friday. This was actually my 5th cruise with Disney, as I sailed it years ago before the prices skyrocketed! This was my husband's first Disney Cruise. We had a lot of discussion about "Was it worth the extra cost" In our opinion, a huge plus was the kids club (more so the hours). My 7 and 9 year old daughters loved the Oceaneer's Club and Lab, but at the end of the cruise, my 9 year old told me, she thought the kids club on Disney was a bit better than Princess but she also still loves Princess. Besides that, we realized all we were paying extra for was the Disney name! We have a Princess cruise on hold for Thanksgiving week and I was curious so went to see what Disney would cost us. It was over $4,000 more for the same week!!!! That's insane!!!! I cannot justify that for extra two hours at the kids club at night and the Disney name. We have also sailed, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. Each cruise line offers something unique. I would say Carnival is okay if you do atleast a 7 night cruise. The shorter cruises have more of a party atmosphere. Royal Caribbean is good for families. Princess and Celebrities are good for families if you go during school breaks. They tend to be an older crowd if you go during school. Now I'm blabbing too much.... But, my point is, we love Princess just as much. The food was on par, the staff has always been just as friendly on Princess Maybe it's just that I"m addicted to cruising general... Haha!!!

 

[FigmentSpark]

I priced a comparible room on a RCCL cruise that was almost identical to the one I've reserved and it's $500 more per room than we are paying on DCL and it's on sale. So, like anything, it may be the time of year, demand and the time you book. I booked opening day on DCL, but the RCCL cruise has now been out for quite awhile. I expect their prices change as the year goes on, too.

 

[bumbershoot]

Op I wanted to mention that my son likes Disney clubs but loves royal clubs. He doesn't like feeling like a number like he does on Disney. Two dcl counsellors out of four cruises have remembered him from one day to the next. (One of them remembered him one cruise to the next). On Royal they know his name by the next evening. And they've greeted him by name even when not in the club. They get involved in the games and have fun with the kids. He loves that.

The next line we try will be celebrity. There is NO indoor smoking AND they have a casino. So DH gets to have some fun at the slots and doesn't have to throw away his clothing before he steps in the stateroom. Best of both worlds for us. It also keeps him from being arrested for indecent exposure haha.

But what is this experience? Characters on board? Free soda? I feel like there's something I'm missing.

I've been on Dream four times and am
missing the same thing.

I priced a comparible room on a RCCL cruise that was almost identical to the one I've reserved and it's $500 more per room than we are paying on DCL and it's on sale. So, like anything, it may be the time of year, demand and the time you book. I booked opening day on DCL, but the RCCL cruise has now been out for quite awhile. I expect their prices change as the year goes on, too.

People tend to compare suites on royal to normal staterooms on Disney because of pure square feet. To most of us who sail royal this causes wrong pricing. I've never been in a suite on Royal and I really can't feel a difference. The rooms are good and the storage is good.

If that's what you're doing, don't. IMO. And if you're comparing a class higher than freedom, those ships are newer and do still tend to get top dollar.

And yes they tend to get higher as the cruise approaches.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Here is my review of the new Carnival Vista from our trip last month: http://www.disboards.com/threads/thoughts-on-the-new-carnival-vista.3521334/
We had a fantastic time, I really didn't think we'd ever enjoy a different cruise line other than DCL. We were so wrong, and I didn't ever think I'd like Carnival. We'll still do DCL on occasion but we love cruising way too much, with as much as we save on other cruise lines, we can sail twice as often.

I would recommend checking out reviews and getting info on the other cruise lines on cruise critic, I think you'll be surprised that they're all more alike than different.

 

[Hundredacre]

After a very sub par disney cruise last Christmas, we came home and reevaluated three additional cruises booked with dcl to the tune of approximately $32000 (2 inside rooms each 7 night cruise). We rebooked each with different cruise lines-- the newest ship for each cruiseline- $14500. Same or better itineraries/all better rooms: oceanview or balconies.

 

[DisMommyTX]

We just returned (yesterday) from a 4 night on Royal Caribbean Majesty of the seas. It is one of their oldest and smallest ships, but two connecting OV were less than half the cost of a single OV on the Disney Dream departing the same day with an almost identical itinerary. Our first Disney cruise will be in Nov, so I cannot make direct comparisons, but here are my observations, fwiw...

The Best stuff: Chef's Table was unbelievable! Completely different than our Chef's table experience on Carnival, but both were far superior to any other dining we have ever experienced, including Victoria & Albert's. And it was less than $100pp! Despite having the tiniest rooms ever, we were very comfortable in our two connecting OV. Left the connecting door open the whole trip, kids had plenty of floor space and having two complete bathrooms was priceless.

The not so good: Their water slide was pathetic; pools were nice but crowded; lots of minor repairs needed like peeling paint, etc. Worst cabin steward we have ever had (16+ cruises on NCL, Princess, Carnival, RCL, and Celebrity), but this was an isolated event not at all representative of what we have experienced on RCL or any other lines.

Our biggest disappointment was the kids club. It was separated into age groups with NO flexibility for siblings or special accommodations despite their ad campaign of Autism awareness on the Seas. DD 11 could not even walk DS 8 into his area except late nights when their age groups were combined (and charged hourly per kid). More disappointing was that their "scheduled activities" consisted almost entirely of kids running around screaming playing a game similar to dodge ball. DS wanted to spend some time with other kids, but instead felt very left out. DD loved it because she made several friends the first day, but hours were limited and inconvenient to other activities. They did arrange to pick up kids outside the dining room at a certain times which worked well one night.

Ehh...: Food was mediocre over all. Never hungry, but nothing memorable from any of the regular dining venues, and options/choices were more limited than most previous cruises. In our experience, the best food has been on Carnival, worst on Princess. Most of the shows were okay for kids, but 70's disco is not exactly our genre of choice, and the comedians crossed the line even in the early 'family friendly' shows. My son LOVED the live music all over the ship. Much of their entertainment happened in the centrum (central atrium lobby area open to decks 4-8) rather than a lounge or show room, so we could walk by and stand at the rails or grab a seat higher up where the music was not so loud. Not conducive to sitting for a 45 min show but perfect for wandering through and catching a few minutes of great music. Had a new movie screen on the pool deck that showed movies the kids wanted to see, but the times always conflicted with something else we were doing. We had a couple minor issues, but other than our cabin steward, every person we encountered was excellent, efficient, and did more than expected to ensure that our vacation was outstanding.

Overall, the whole family was very happy and none of us wanted to leave at the end of our cruise. I have no doubt that the experience on Disney's ship would have been better, but probably not worth twice as much to us. This was exactly what we were looking for as a 4 night cruise tacked on to the end of 10 days at WDW. It was very enjoyable, relaxing, and we spent half our time on the boat sleeping anyway . I have much higher expectations for our 7 night Disney cruise over Thanksgiving.