We chose the dark side - Carnival VS Disney

[PrincessShmoo]

I need to know where to get that Molten Chocolate Lava cake!!!!!

It was in the dining room. One note, it wasn't on the menu, but I ordered it anyway and got it:



I ordered it the first 2 nights of the cruise. First night really good!! Second night, not so good (was underdone).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If I like comedians like Louis CK and Amy Schumer... Am I going to enjoy the comedians?

Sorry, don't know those comedians.

 

[Ofinn]

I think it might be dcl that's gone to the dark side

There has been Darth Vader sightings on some of their sailings...you might be right.

 

[tidefan]

We tried Carnival last year for the first time (on the Sunshine). Thought we'd hate it, but had a great time (compared to our Serenade of the Seas - our one venture into RCCL - that we'd thought we'd love, but were underwhelmed).

We were surprised, in fact, by how much we enjoyed ourselves on Carnival. Now, it is a different vibe and vacation, but it was definitely fun. One thing I would say is that I would try to make sure whatever Carnival ship you are on has had the "FunShip 2.0" upgrades. Guy's and Blue Iguana were very good, and yes, the molten lava cake was very good as well...

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Last year we had booked a Bermuda Cruise on the Sunshine. Then, after our 2nd cruise with Disney in December, we decided to cancel our 2016 Bermuda cruise to invest in a Disney Cruise with my in-laws in April 2017.

We're still doing it. But... we still had a credit with Carnival and "miles" to book plane tickets and 1 or 2 nights at the hotel so we decided to celebrate our 5th anniversary with Carnival in October 2016 *Gasp!*

So here is the comparison so far...

We picked a small four nights Bahamian cruise (Freeport-Nassau-Sea Day) on the Carnival Victory. So far, it cost us 50% than what a DCL 4 nights cruise would have cost us for a similar type of room.

I booked excursions today because there was a 20% off deal if we booked one excursion for each port of calls (basically mu husband pay his 2nd excursion 5$ !) I don't think that ever happened with Disney. I also found that Carnival had much more choices of excursions than Disney.

The Carnival Sunshine had more $ specialty restaurants that you could add, they were less expensive than Disney too. I'm not surr I am interested in adding the $ specialty restaurants from the Victory yet. (TBD) So far, the selection of food sounds sufficiently interesting for me.

So far, the things I know I'll miss is Castaway Cay. Since we don't make a stop in Half Moon Cay in this cruise, I picked the "Family Beach Escape", hoping to get our "beach fix".

I'm keeping Atlantis for the 2017 Disney Family Cruise so we picked a Glass Bottom Boat Tour in Nassau. Our expectations are pretty low. I hope we'll enjoy it.

We had to prepay the excursions right away. I like that option better, to be honest.

I also like the fact that you can add on board credit online with Carnival instead of a call/fax sheet with Disney.

I find the in-room decorations packages to be less expensive with Carnival than with Disney.

I'm still studying the soda package thing.

I did not see many images of the boats and the rooms. Cannot really compare, yet. (TBD)

I decided that I would love that cruise, even though it's not Disney.

Still, I am looking for Disney AND Carnival lovers to help me plan this cruise!

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

We are booked on 2 Vista cruises, (1 in 46 days), one thing I found out about the soda package is, the following mocktails are included with the package;

Beautiful! I love lights and colors like that!

If you like lights, this beauty is in the middle of the atrium on the Vista, it's all LED screens and has an infinite play list, sometimes it's a fire scene, sometimes under water, this is the beach scene

I'll be reporting back on the Vista mid June.

 

[mevelandry]

We tried Carnival last year for the first time (on the Sunshine). Thought we'd hate it, but had a great time (compared to our Serenade of the Seas - our one venture into RCCL - that we'd thought we'd love, but were underwhelmed).

We were surprised, in fact, by how much we enjoyed ourselves on Carnival. Now, it is a different vibe and vacation, but it was definitely fun. One thing I would say is that I would try to make sure whatever Carnival ship you are on has had the "FunShip 2.0" upgrades. Guy's and Blue Iguana were very good, and yes, the molten lava cake was very good as well...

Unfortunately, they don't have Guy's nor Blue Iguana. But since I've never had it, I won't know what I am missing.

 

[mevelandry]

I have a question: We don't have a car (no licenses either) and we usually take the DCL shuttle to PC.

We booked the shuttle "Airport-PC/PC/Airport".

We would like to arrive one or two days in advance, though.

Is it possible to take the shuttles if we stay at a airport hotel (or somewhere else!) prior to the cruise?

Thanks in advance!

 

[daisyx3]

Any recent feedback on Glory? I know they have Guy Fieri's. Looking at a Cayman-Cozumel-Belize-Mahogany Bay 7 night.

 

[Scillycruisers]

We are just about to book the Carnival Magic for Feb 2017 and cancel our Fantasy cruise for the same week. We are booking a suite for the 3 of us and it is still more than £1000 less than the balcony room we have booked on the Fantasy (which was booked at opening day prices some time ago, I haven't looked how much it has gone up since it has been made into a SW cruise). It also has 4 ports of call which we really wanted rather than the DCL 3.
We have loved our 5 DCL cruises, but really can't justify the cost and we will stay at WDW before to get our "Disney". Also now DS is 9 he is enjoying some of the "older" kids activities on these other ships. We chose NCL Getaway for 2016 and also had a great time so looking forward to trying something new again.

 

[darnheather]

I was looking at some cruises with them and to get a stateroom for 3 people seems difficult and expensive. Add in the fact I was confused by their different dinning and drinking plans and I'd have to have help for sure. OP do you have kids or just two adults?

 

[KalamityJane]

I'm looking at the Vista and wondering how the kids clubs are? Is there a Carnival cruise for Dummies ?

 

[TestingH2O]

I'll be reporting back on the Vista mid June.

I hope you'll share your experience here. I'm really interested in the Vista, especially the Family Harbor area.

 

[darnheather]

I'm looking at the Vista and wondering how the kids clubs are? Is there a Carnival cruise for Dummies ?

I totally agree! There are so many confusing options and no good explanations to any of them.

 

[darnheather]

We had chocolate lava cake in Cariocas our second rotation. It was delicious.

 

[hmwinter85]

I've done 7 Carnival cruises and just got back from our first DCL Fantasy sailing in January. The Fantasy was amazing but there were some things that DH agreed we liked better on Carnival. All of our Carnival Cruises were done before our DS was born which does make it a little different.

Over all I think the food selections in the main dinning room and buffet are better on Carnival. Carnival has a lot more choices, I'd say the quality was about the same.

I'd also give Bar service to Carnival. I had a hard time finding waiters on Disney sometimes and at night if we wanted to drink to take back to the room and drink on the veranda while DS was sleeping it was hard to find one open that was close to our room. I did love the "free" pop on Disney. I've don't the drink packages on Carnival so if you have questions I can help with that.

The lobby and promenade areas I generally liked better on Carnival. We liked to sit in the lobby before dinner and listen to the bands there. On Disney there really wasn't a good place to do this because of the character meet and greets taking place there. I feel like the bands they had playing on Disney were overshadowed.

Nightlife is also much better on Carnival. Personally we love the piano bar and ended up closing it down at 2 am most nights.

Overall I enjoy both cruise lines and will sail on both again. I think our next one will be Disney again since DS is still young but as he gets a little older I can see us going back to Carnival.

 

[mevelandry]

I was looking at some cruises with them and to get a stateroom for 3 people seems difficult and expensive. Add in the fact I was confused by their different dinning and drinking plans and I'd have to have help for sure. OP do you have kids or just two adults?

Just two adults.

From what I understand, they have a drinking plan for Sodas (they don't provide them for free except in the dining rooms, from what I understand) and a plan for alcohol too. You simply pick them in the "gift" section of the website.

As for the dining rooms, they have first seating and second seating and "Your time" (which means you can eat in the dining room whenever you want between 5:45 and 9:30). I was told we might have to wait a few minutes if we pick the last one.

 

[mevelandry]

I'm looking at the Vista and wondering how the kids clubs are? Is there a Carnival cruise for Dummies ?

So far, I think the reservation system for bookings, excursions and gifts is so simple that I feel like it's already dummies-oriented.

 

[mevelandry]

I've don't the drink packages on Carnival so if you have questions I can help with that.

I've heard mixed reviews about it (about it being warm, flat, etc.) Is it true?

I was told that there is no "self-serve" stations and that someone is serving you?

 

[darnheather]

Just two adults.

From what I understand, they have a drinking plan for Sodas (they don't provide them for free except in the dining rooms, from what I understand) and a plan for alcohol too. You simply pick them in the "gift" section of the website.

As for the dining rooms, they have first seating and second seating and "Your time" (which means you can eat in the dining room whenever you want between 5:45 and 9:30). I was told we might have to wait a few minutes if we pick the last one.

Getting a third person in the room is where I am running into price issues. Many of the rooms I've seen are only for 2 people. The ones noted for 3 are at least 50 square feet smaller than the DCL inside stateroom that I just sailed in. I can't imagine us having any less space than we did.

 

[mevelandry]

Getting a third person in the room is where I am running into price issues. Many of the rooms I've seen are only for 2 people. The ones noted for 3 are at least 50 square feet smaller than the DCL inside stateroom that I just sailed in. I can't imagine us having any less space than we did.

I guess it just depends how that space is used. Sometimes a small/well organized room can feel bigger than a "bigger room".

My take on the subject is: we won't spend much time in the room anyway...