We always end up back with DCL

[maui2k5]

Anyone else who has gone on DCL having a hard time considering another cruise line such as Royal Caribbean? When we think about another cruise we end up back at DCL. Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Anyone else who has gone on DCL having a hard time considering another cruise line such as Royal Caribbean? When we think about another cruise we end up back at DCL. Anyone else in the same boat?

Nope. We've done other cruise lines. Mostly because they had different itineraries than DCL, but we still like DCL.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Yup. We've tried other lines and it just wasn't the same. It's not the IP (that is actually quite annoying for us). It's the service, the special touches, the cleanliness, the attention to detail. We were shocked on other lines after 20+ Disney cruises. There are some on the boards who will defend RCCL, Princess, Celebrity... to their dying breath. Good for them. For us, it's DCL

 

[FreeTime]

No.

Have enjoyed DCL in the past but having tried others have NOT gone back to DCL. We keep saying maybe someday but look at DCL and find better itineraries and better activities and better entertainment on other lines.

 

[dwg]

Anyone else who has gone on DCL having a hard time considering another cruise line such as Royal Caribbean? When we think about another cruise we end up back at DCL. Anyone else in the same boat?

Same here. We are Platinum with 16 cruises. DCL is by no means perfect and tends to be more expensive but even after talking to friends and family who have been on the other cruise lines about their positive experiences on those cruise lines we have no desire to try the other cruise lines. I agree with dad of 3 regarding the service and cleanliness on the ships.

 

[Marthasor]

It just depends on what kind of cruise we want. For a mass market, larger cruise line, we prefer DCL though we like Celebrity for a more low-key experience and more variety of itineraries. We have enjoyed smaller ship and expedition cruises, however (Paul Gauguin, Lindblad, Windstar) and are doing an ABD river cruise soon. We've done NCL and I'm not a fan. I have zero interest in RCCL.

 

[dreamer17555]

I have yet to branch out and try other lines yet. I have done 11 sailings on DCL since 2020 and four more happening before March

I have looked into other lines, talked to so many cruisers, and thought about changing it up but I really love what Disney offers and I am not sure I want to spend money on a different line at this point in my life. I love the Disney theater shows. I adore all the Disney trivia. I am amazed by how the teens on DCL have included my neurodivergent son. I like that it is fun but not too wild.

I have priced other lines but since I sail DCL mostly in the off season and restricted fares there isn't as much daylight between that and another line. And I will not allow another line to pick my stateroom because I have heard of stories with other lines where they oversold the ship and have yet to hear that happen with DCL.

We might branch out when my youngest turns 18 especially with how high the price for the Treasure is (I love a 7 night sailing) but for the next little bit at least we are sticking with DCL.

 

[GhostHost24]

We have a second DCL planned for Dec 2025 in the treasure. .but we just booked a royal Caribbean on the utopia for Jan 2025..so it'll be Interesting to compare

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have status on a few cruise lines, but I do enjoy DCL more than the others. DCL just doesn’t have the itineraries to keep us only on their line.

 

[RangerPooh]

We’ve sailed DCL 3 times, with two more sailings booked before February. We have booked a RCL 7 night sailing for March. As a family of 6 it was half the cost of DCL 4 night cruise. So we decided to try it out.

 

[yowcruiser]

I have still a few unique itineraries and experiences to try on DCL...I am still good after 16 cruises and not really tempted to look somewhere else.

 

[Snowwhyt]

MSC (only if it’s my husband’s family, ugh MSC)
Royal Caribbean (I had to pay for all the extras to get the better food)
DCL alway my first choice.
Avoid MSC

 

[LAS2AMS]

You’re describing loyalty. That’s why brands work so hard to earn it - because you become emotionally invested and thus reject the competition.

Posters want to justify it by complimenting Disney’s service, but yet DVl charges a premium so that service isn’t coming without a price. Meanwhile, on other cruise lines/ specific ships, you can upgrade to a higher level of service that blows DCL away and still costs less…

 

[auntlynne]

Most of my cruises are on DCL.

I tried Royal’s Allure OTS after 12 Disney cruises. At the time, it was the world’s largest cruise ship. Its lobby/ promenade felt like a shopping mall. I picked a Western Caribbean itinerary, which is not my favorite. And it was Spring Break. It wasn’t a bad ship and had interesting elements. I have considered Royal since then, even did preliminary booking, but did not end up doing another cruise with them.

My first jump was to Princess the year following our DCL AK cruise (and another 5 Disney cruises in between, including a Transatlantic and a Maiden Voyage. Yikes!). The price for a return to AK was too hard to pass up when a cruise friend (from an earlier Disney cruise) presented this option. She was a die-hard DCL cruiser and had sailed with Princess, including taking her children, so we took a chance.

And now, I have done 3 Princess cruises to AK, each a different itinerary.

And it was AK that got me to try NCL. Sep 2021, just as cruising resumed. Big ship, but capacity capped at 30%. Last fall, I did a B2B NYC - Quebec and return on a sister ship and thought the crowd was manageable. A few months later, I enjoyed a 14-N Southern Caribbean on one of their smaller vessels. I would do another NCL cruise if the price and itinerary were right for me. They make solo cruising affordable (and not just in smaller, dedicated solo cabins).

And this was just 7 months after doing a Southern Caribbean on Disney Magic. Our family is realizing that port intensive itineraries do not need us to pay Disney prices.

I find my personality and entertainment choices best match what Disney offers. No “adult” comedians. Production shows that have a story, not just singing and dancing. I don’t even enjoy all the ones DCL offers. I always go to the Golden Mickeys, but skip Twice Charmed and Believe/ Dreams. Beauty & the Beast is so well done, as is Tangled.

I am not a big concert-goer, so don’t appreciate most live music offerings on any cruise. I’m not into Karaoke, but I do like a sing a long with a piano player when it is available.

I have developed a base onboard routine that works for me on any cruise and tweak it depending on what the ship offers.

I am at the point that my cruise decisions are largely based on destinations and price. Disney hasn’t varied their more affordable itineraries very much over the last 17 years - and other companies have made good offers that have let me visit new (or repeat favorite) places.

If I only get one more Disney cruise, I would like it to be on The Wish, with a visit to CC and LHP. If last, but not Disney, probably Norwegian Fjords or a return to Alaska.

And I am the type to revisit favorite places. Not just always trying something new. But I have been able to do a lot of cruises and other vacations, unlike those for whom vacations are somewhat rare (or even just annual).

My oft-repeated quote to my nieces was “There are families that save their entire lives for one trip to Disney World.” And it’s gotten even more out of reach for DCL for many. I would never say, well, give it a try, you can always return to Disney. But if you can afford to try a different line, either do some research, based on your preferences, or stick with your happy place. And best wishes on your choice.

 

[holula]

Yup. We've tried other lines and it just wasn't the same. It's not the IP (that is actually quite annoying for us). It's the service, the special touches, the cleanliness, the attention to detail. We were shocked on other lines after 20+ Disney cruises. There are some on the boards who will defend RCCL, Princess, Celebrity... to their dying breath. Good for them. For us, it's DCL

I agree with this sort of. I’ve enjoyed NCL and Royal on their large ships, and I’d cruise them again for the right itinerary. However you’ve definitely hit the nail on the head with DCL’s special touches… there is something magical about their ships for me and I’d pick them if I wasn’t cruising for itinerary every single time.

Even my parents, who are not Disney people at all, love DCL.

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

Yes 27 times DCL and tomorrow cheating on the mouse for the first time! sailing to Norway and all around Iceland with HAL!

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

Yes 27 times DCL and tomorrow cheating on the mouse for the first time! sailing to Norway and all around Iceland with HAL!

Let us know how it goes!

 

[JM_97]

Nothing wrong with being loyal to a brand (that's me with Apple), but I definitely encourage everyone to try other lines if you can. Just have to go in with an open mind. Different ships, experiences, destinations, etc. Plus I like variety instead of doing the same thing over and over.

Disney is still my preferred cruise line 10 times out of 10, but I am not against doing non-Disney cruises.

 

[CarolynU]

DCL 20 cruises. Princess 3 cruises. Next year A first on Cunard.
I am mostly brand loyal, but I also like to experience the new too. I don’t feel that certain cruise lines are for me, but there’s a whole wide world out there and I am enjoying trying it.

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

Nothing wrong with being loyal to a brand (that's me with Apple)

Off topic but I do wonder if the percentage of Apple folks are higher in the Disney Crowd when compared to the average population. There's a similar attention and dedication to detail and innovation with both brands, and both brands are under attack for perceived decreases in dedication.