We chose the dark side - Carnival VS Disney

[trvlgirlmq]

No other cruise lines do this. Deposits are refundable up until the PIF date. This is something I dont like about Carnival. It doesnt mean I wont book a cruise with them, but I dont see any reason to book one ahead a time especially with all the last minute sales they have.

You don't have to book Early Saver. There are rates that are refundable until PIF you just either have to know what to ask for or book it online and show all the rates (if you book the Past Guest rate for returning cruisers you pay a bit more but its refundable).

 

[Ofinn]

You don't have to book Early Saver. There are rates that are refundable until PIF you just either have to know what to ask for or book it online and show all the rates (if you book the Past Guest rate for returning cruisers you pay a bit more but its refundable).

Yes I know I can book with an interline rate that's refundable, but the reduced deposits are on the early save rates. I don't think you get price protection with the other rates, and since they have a lot of last minute discounts I really can't see a benefit booking with a different rate. I'm not saying it's completely bad. Carnival just has a different way of doing things.

 

[Billinaz]

My comment was not directed to you or I would have quoted you...it was to a comment higher up about someone who "heard someone on the cruise was smoking weed". I'm not a weed smoker, but it's becoming legal in the US slowly but surely...I don't like smoke though, so I hope it doesn't cross over into the cruise industry...but I can see it how..."medical marijuana" type accommodations might be filtering in. I hope not.

Marijuana is still federally illegal. While the state may not prosecute you, the feds still can.

Medical Marijuana is a joke. In the cases of severe medical conditions, by all means try everything. But only a very low single digit of those with 'medical marijuana' are for that. The 90 plus percentile are walking into these places, talking to a non physician and claiming chronic pain. They get their certification (Doctors are not prescribing these) and start smoking away. It is not for any legitimate medical use.

 

[Billinaz]

I said he's "doing time".. as in not free....not necessarily "in Jail". But Italy's justice system is corrupt so I wouldn't be surprised if the clown gets off on appeal.

How do you know of the Italian justice system corruption? I was trying to google search it...... but no real luck.

 

[mevelandry]

Just to update you: I have to say that so far I enjoy the process just as much as the one with Disney, if not more.

(132 days before the cruise...)

I have booked, cancelled and rebooked excursions (found out there was a Blue Lagoon excursion, so I picked it over the glass bottom boat excursion) very easily... and the refund came very fast!

I like their In-room Gift system more than DCL as you can do it all online (vs phone or fax with DCL). Cancelling a gift (realized there was no fridge in the room so bought a Bar Gift Card instead of ordering beer for the room) was super easy, I just had to make a short phone call.

 

[Love2Cruz]

How do you know of the Italian justice system corruption? I was trying to google search it...... but no real luck.

I'm Italian, my parents are Italian, they watch Italian tv 24/7 via satellite, and it's constantly talking about judges being paid off or killed(Mafia is still very much alive and thriving, especially in southern Italy). Italy has always had a culture of corruption, that will never change.
I doubt you would find it on google. My parents keep up with Italian news and even they are disgusted by the stuff that still goes on.

 

[Billinaz]

I'm Italian, my parents are Italian, they watch Italian tv 24/7 via satellite, and it's constantly talking about judges being paid off or killed(Mafia is still very much alive and thriving, especially in southern Italy). Italy has always had a culture of corruption, that will never change.
I doubt you would find it on google. My parents keep up with Italian news and even they are disgusted by the stuff that still goes on.

Talk about timing.....

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jwebb/2...-worse-says-supreme-court-judge/#865952979706

 

[mevelandry]

No gonna lie to you. Although we are curious and excited about our next cruise with Carnival in October, we are ecstatic about our DCL cruise on the Disney Wonder in April, especially after reading about the upcoming changes during dry dock.

Since we also decided to try Royal Caribbean next year, I have a feeling that we might not stop doing short cruises with DCL (because they are the only ones we can afford anyway) but we will definitely look for alternatives (other cruise lines) in order to save a little money.

 

[black magic]

I plan to offer up my comparison in August. We have done two Disney cruises (4-day Dream & 7-day Fantasy) and now we have booked a 7-day Carnival cruise on the Breeze out of Galveston in August. This should be a pretty good comparison, as the Fantasy and the Breeze are similar in age and size. Plus, we'll have kids experiencing the kids club as well. I have sailed Carnival before, but that was 12+ years ago and before children, so yes, I was part of the party crowd. Needless to say, I'll be approaching this Carnival cruise with different eyes. One thing that I have been reading is that the longer the cruise, the less likely you are to have the "booze cruise" crowd and will hopefully have more of a family vibe to it. We will be back with DCL, but it will likely be next summer and combined with a short WDW trip beforehand.

 

[mevelandry]

I plan to offer up my comparison in August. We have done two Disney cruises (4-day Dream & 7-day Fantasy) and now we have booked a 7-day Carnival cruise on the Breeze out of Galveston in August. This should be a pretty good comparison, as the Fantasy and the Breeze are similar in age and size. Plus, we'll have kids experiencing the kids club as well. I have sailed Carnival before, but that was 12+ years ago and before children, so yes, I was part of the party crowd. Needless to say, I'll be approaching this Carnival cruise with different eyes. One thing that I have been reading is that the longer the cruise, the less likely you are to have the "booze cruise" crowd and will hopefully have more of a family vibe to it. We will be back with DCL, but it will likely be next summer and combined with a short WDW trip beforehand.

I can't wait to read your review.

 

[godde8ss]

I saw someone post that Carnival's level of service is equal to Disney's. I have to say, that is not my experience. I have sailed Carnival 5 times, Royal Caribbean 3 times, Celebrity 1 time and Disney 1 time. Carnival, by far, had the worst service. To say it was non-existent is more accurate. Food slapped onto the dinner tables, did not remember drinks from prior night or names. Disney was so attentive, especially to the kids. There is no contest. But, Carnival is cheap, so, it did not bother me. That service at a Disney price tag would be unacceptable.
I debated trying a newer Carnival ship - the Sunshine or Freedom of the Seas, but stuck with Disney this go around. The reason is because my kids are still at that "age". Also, as my husband pointed out, I would be comparing it to Disney the whole time and probably ruin my vacation. When they get older, I would take them on RCL most likely. I'm trying Oasis in January with grown-ups, and i'll get to check it out for them.

 

[jahber]

I saw someone post that Carnival's level of service is equal to Disney's. I have to say, that is not my experience. I have sailed Carnival 5 times, Royal Caribbean 3 times, Celebrity 1 time and Disney 1 time. Carnival, by far, had the worst service. To say it was non-existent is more accurate. Food slapped onto the dinner tables, did not remember drinks from prior night or names. Disney was so attentive, especially to the kids. There is no contest. But, Carnival is cheap, so, it did not bother me. That service at a Disney price tag would be unacceptable.
I debated trying a newer Carnival ship - the Sunshine or Freedom of the Seas, but stuck with Disney this go around. The reason is because my kids are still at that "age". Also, as my husband pointed out, I would be comparing it to Disney the whole time and probably ruin my vacation. When they get older, I would take them on RCL most likely. I'm trying Oasis in January with grown-ups, and i'll get to check it out for them.

It's quite true that everyone can have a difference experience on the same line. On the Carnival Breeze, the crew was simply amazing. Always smiling and friendly and always offering to help me when I had my hands full with a baby and two big kids. Carrying trays in the buffet and grabbing high chairs and just generally doing whatever they thought I needed without me even asking. The dining room staff was good, on par with the six DCL cruises we've done. Although honestly, I prefer not to be "best friends" with the crew because I'm an introvert--and the excellence speech on DCL makes me shrivel up inside every time. But trust me, my husband has never met a stranger and he has just as much fun with the Carnival crew. Try one of the bigger, newer ships if you want (which the Sunshine is NOT, technically--and the Freedom is RCL). Try the Breeze and Vista and I bet you'll be surprised. And for half the price.

 

[mevelandry]

I saw someone post that Carnival's level of service is equal to Disney's. I have to say, that is not my experience. I have sailed Carnival 5 times, Royal Caribbean 3 times, Celebrity 1 time and Disney 1 time. Carnival, by far, had the worst service. To say it was non-existent is more accurate. Food slapped onto the dinner tables, did not remember drinks from prior night or names. Disney was so attentive, especially to the kids. There is no contest. But, Carnival is cheap, so, it did not bother me. That service at a Disney price tag would be unacceptable.
I debated trying a newer Carnival ship - the Sunshine or Freedom of the Seas, but stuck with Disney this go around. The reason is because my kids are still at that "age". Also, as my husband pointed out, I would be comparing it to Disney the whole time and probably ruin my vacation. When they get older, I would take them on RCL most likely. I'm trying Oasis in January with grown-ups, and i'll get to check it out for them.

With the exception of the servers in Palo and Remy, and one or two persons here and there, I've never found the servers or cast members to be THAT awesome on DCL. None of them ever remembered what my drinks were. I don't think it will make much a difference for us.

I've heard many reviews, watched plenty of videos about the Carnival ship we'll be sailing on. So far I am not worried and if we end up not enjoying it that much, we'll try other cruise lines in the future (we already planned to do so). Don't want to feel "trapped" to cruise on DCL if you know what I mean.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I just disembarked the Carnival Vista this morning in Barcelona after an amazing 8 night Mediterranean cruise. I'll be writing a full comparison to our Disney cruises in the next few days. But in a nut shell.......... was it Disney? No. Did we have a great time for less than half? Heck yeah. Are we doing the Vista again next summer for the 8 night Southern Caribbean? Absolutely!!!!!

I never thought I could love a ship more than the Fantasy, but Vista knocked it out of the park, great ship, great crew-not over the top catering to everyone's special requests but very nice and efficient.

Didn't see any drunks like the rumors here will tell you. This is my observation from someone who does not drink at all.

My teens don't go in the clubs on any cruise so I can't comment on those.

The evening shows were family friendly in the sense they were clean and no vulgarity, I don't think younger kids would be that entertained though. One night was a Cuban themed dancing and singing, also a magician, a tribute to various rock bands and an amazing show called "Flick" which was a singing and dancing show beyond belief set to various movie scores. It was the only one of the shows that topped DCL shows and it was amazing!

We had an absolutely fantastic time and there is a reason why Carnival calls themselves the FUN ships. I'll be posting more soon!

 

[TestingH2O]

But in a nut shell.......... was it Disney? No. Did we have a great time for less than half? Heck yeah. Are we doing the Vista again next summer for the 8 night Southern Caribbean? Absolutely!!!!!

I can't wait to hear more!

 

[mevelandry]

Just want to mention that while a trip to NYC, I saw the Norwegian Breakaway docked at the port: SHE IS A BEAUTY!

 

[hanscarlet]

I have heard nothing positive about Carnival and that generally it's the lowest class of all cruise options with RCL, NCL, Princess, DCL, etc... I have no experience with Carnival to form my own opinion so I am really looking forward to your trip update OP and also to black magic's trip update

I also have heard that their muster drill activities aren't taken as "seriously" or organized as well as DCL's and if this is true this would support Tonka's theory that the corporate culture doesn't value safety as well as the other cruise lines... once again this is what I've heard reading the cruise forums but open to be informed based on others' experiences

Have a wonderful cruise OP!

ETA: given the price increases from DCL, year over year, I applaud others for trying other lines, been thinking of venturing myself and therefore appreciate threads like these so I can learn more...

 

[DisMommyTX]

We are planning our first Disney cruise for this fall, but are veteran cruisers. We lost count around 20, but have been on many cruises with Carnival, RCL, and Norwegian, as well as a couple Princess and Celebrity. We have found the Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian experiences fairly interchangeable. The longer cruises on any of the 3 lines were more impressive than any of the shorter ones with much more variability within than between lines. Almost across the board, the 6-8 night cruises had better servers and entertainment than the weekenders on any line. Princess and Celebrity catered to a different crowd with loftier cuisine but their execution was just as hit or miss as the others. We enjoyed the educational talks but found ourselves bored more often with long periods of downtime. This happens occasionally on the others as well, especially in recent years as they seem to have scaled back on offerings due to budget cuts. All of our cruises 10-15 years ago had more special bonuses like midnight buffets, ice and fruit carvings, exceptional crew interactions, random moments of wow, etc. than we have seen in recent years. I hope that DCL will be like a flashback to our great cruises of the past, but I am trying not to get my hopes up to high.

As always, any day on a cruise is better than a day at work. Regardless of line, we have always felt safe and valued as a customer, and we have never had a bad cruise. There have been some exceptional experiences, like the unbelievable talent on a 3 night weekend on Carnival Imagination out of LA. This was also when we experienced the Chef's Table, without doubt our best dining experience ever--better than Victoria and Albert's!

Overall Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have all provided excellent cruise experiences with no clear 'better' or 'worse' line. Even the kids programs seem to vary more between ships on the same line than between lines. My dd's favorite and most disappointing experiences with the children's programs were both on RCL, and the difference was based almost entirely on the staff and programming for that cruise. I expect Disney to provide a consistently outstanding experience--that is what we are paying for. I doubt DCL will beat every other cruise we have been on for half the cost, but it should be better than most !

 

[hanscarlet]

We are planning our first Disney cruise for this fall, but are veteran cruisers. We lost count around 20, but have been on many cruises with Carnival, RCL, and Norwegian, as well as a couple Princess and Celebrity. We have found the Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian experiences fairly interchangeable. The longer cruises on any of the 3 lines were more impressive than any of the shorter ones with much more variability within than between lines. Almost across the board, the 6-8 night cruises had better servers and entertainment than the weekenders on any line. Princess and Celebrity catered to a different crowd with loftier cuisine but their execution was just as hit or miss as the others. We enjoyed the educational talks but found ourselves bored more often with long periods of downtime. This happens occasionally on the others as well, especially in recent years as they seem to have scaled back on offerings due to budget cuts. All of our cruises 10-15 years ago had more special bonuses like midnight buffets, ice and fruit carvings, exceptional crew interactions, random moments of wow, etc. than we have seen in recent years. I hope that DCL will be like a flashback to our great cruises of the past, but I am trying not to get my hopes up to high.

As always, any day on a cruise is better than a day at work. Regardless of line, we have always felt safe and valued as a customer, and we have never had a bad cruise. There have been some exceptional experiences, like the unbelievable talent on a 3 night weekend on Carnival Imagination out of LA. This was also when we experienced the Chef's Table, without doubt our best dining experience ever--better than Victoria and Albert's!

Overall Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian have all provided excellent cruise experiences with no clear 'better' or 'worse' line. Even the kids programs seem to vary more between ships on the same line than between lines. My dd's favorite and most disappointing experiences with the children's programs were both on RCL, and the difference was based almost entirely on the staff and programming for that cruise. I expect Disney to provide a consistently outstanding experience--that is what we are paying for. I doubt DCL will beat every other cruise we have been on for half the cost, but it should be better than most !

Please give a trip report comparing your first DCL experience to the rest of your cruising experience.... I think you offer a pretty cool and unique perspective! Have fun!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I expect Disney to provide a consistently outstanding experience--that is what we are paying for. I doubt DCL will beat every other cruise we have been on for half the cost, but it should be better than most !

When you pay the DCL price and then have even a single cruise with them where you don't get that exceptional service, it can really impact your overall view of the line (and yes, I'm speaking from own experience).

Our first cruise (DCL) we had the most amazing assistant server. I mean, it was like he was a mindreader, and he insisted on cutting my mother's food (she has only the use of one hand) so I didn't have to, one night I wasn't feeling well and he walked with my parents back to the stateroom with a covered dinner for me (my dad was pushing my mom's wheelchair and she couldn't balance the plate). Our cabin steward was okay, our head server was good but it really was our assistant server who set the bar for us.

Follow up cruise and well, very different experience. Our head server was terrible, our assistant server was very new and all through the meals she kept repeating, "I feel so sick." again, and again, and again. (I don't hold her sea sickness against her but it was just constant). Our cabin steward was good but again, nothing outstanding.

And of course, by the time we had our second DCL cruise, I had cruised on Carnival and had good servers in the MDR and one of the best cabin stewards. It made me realize that "excellent" service on DCL was not guaranteed and other lines weren't as bad as some people made them out to be.

I wish you all the best service on your DCL cruise. I however, will not be surprised if you continue to sail other lines realizing that at many points in your cruise history, you've experienced service at that same level - or gasp - even better.