Why do YOU cruise with Disney?

[Flossbolna]

This thread should be renamed why the DCl snobs love DCL??? Good grief.ive done my share of DCl cruises, but Im not going to degrade people that cant afford or choose not to pay their prices.

I think the thread is interesting as it shows how varied the reasons are why people choose cruising on DCL. Not everyone is a snob because they love DCL. But some might be. Then there are people who would do everything for their kids even though they despise the mouse. Others just love the brand. For me the fascinating outcome of this thread is that I think the question of the "Why" is what often causes people reacting differently to all kind of other topics (like Palo Brunch menu change, new prices etc.).

 

[Ofinn]

I think the thread is interesting as it shows how varied the reasons are why people choose cruising on DCL. Not everyone is a snob because they love DCL. But some might be. Then there are people who would do everything for their kids even though they despise the mouse. Others just love the brand. For me the fascinating outcome of this thread is that I think the question of the "Why" is what often causes people reacting differently to all kind of other topics (like Palo Brunch menu change, new prices etc.).

I never said people were snobs because they enjoy DCL. You can say why you like DCL without putting down people that cruise other lines. Ive been fortunate to be able to afford DCL, but Ive always kept an open mind about other lines. I also realize not everyone can afford it, and I dont think Im better then the people getting off other ships. I think anybody that can afford a cruise on any cruise line should consider themselves fortunate.
DCL puts out a great product and people enjoy it for different reasons, but their are people on here that enjoy other cruise lines too.

 

[Flossbolna]

I never said people were snobs because they enjoy DCL. You can say why you like DCL without putting down people that cruise other lines. Ive been fortunate to be able to afford DCL, but Ive always kept an open mind about other lines. I also realize not everyone can afford it, and I dont think Im better then the people getting off other ships. I think anybody that can afford a cruise on any cruise line should consider themselves fortunate.
DCL puts out a great product and people enjoy it for different reasons, but their are people on here that enjoy other cruise lines too.

Sorry, I did not mean to say that you said everyone who loves DCL is a snob. But I am sure some are. Just like everywhere in life.

The funny thing is that I am sure that there are people who regularly cruise on the real premium lines who would never think to step on such a lowly main market line ship like the Disney Fantasy. So, every group of people has their own share of snobs.

 

[disneyholic family]

Why do you choose Disney?

I don't need convincing, we are die-hard Disney and DCL fanatics, just wondering what keeps you going back, even though other cruises are cheaper, different, some say better, better for adults, better for kids...you know you have heard it all!!

We choose it, because it truly feels *magical* there seems to just be a different feel on a Disney cruise, just like when you enter WDW, it's as though you have entered a bubble and nothing but good things can come of it!!

If you were to ask my husband though, he would say the food! LOL!

i've just been discussing this very thing with my daughter, who just came back from her med cruise on the magic.
it was her return to DCL after 12 years...and her husband's first time ever on DCL..
she and her husband have been on three RCCL cruises together and absolutely loved them, and considered themselves 'loyal to royal".

they were planning on going on the harmony of the seas in the med....and then for some reason, i can't remember what, we started looking at the magic instead...
i think it was because she and her husband really really wanted to go to WDW this summer..
but WDW is so very expensive for us (an economy flight in the summer is over $2,000 per person from where we live - and that's just the flight)
the entire family is going to WDW next summer, but she and her husband needed their disney 'fix' this year..
so we started looking at the magic (since flying to barcelona is so inexpensive for us)..

but after 12 years away from DCL, and being very happy with RCCL, they were hesitant..

however, in the end, they decided to try it - her husband, especially wanted to try DCL (since marrying into our family, he's become every bit as disneyholic as the rest of us)..

so they booked an oceanview room on deck 2....first time they were going without a verandah..

DD was worried, but looking forward to the cruise and to the shows..

so....what was their verdict?

DSIL says he's found a new favorite cruise line - DCL (we laughingly say he's now disloyal to royal - though in truth they also like royal, just not as much as DCL)..

DD was trying to put her finger on why the cruise was so absolutely perfect....
she said it was that special disney something..
that everything about the cruise had the disney magic...that disney pixie dust..
even when they went window shopping in the ship stores, it was disney stuff so that made even window shopping super magical...

not sure i know how to put it into words, but she said that the disney aspect of it just set it apart....

maybe she'll come into the thread and put it into her own words..

My husband and kids make fun of me every single time because I always cry at their shows, even if they are funny or cute, I'm crying because they are just so amazing! Disney gives me the feels! LOL

you're not alone...i cry at the shows too...as does my 31 year old daughter

 

[squirk]

The funny thing is that I am sure that there are people who regularly cruise on the real premium lines who would never think to step on such a lowly main market line ship like the Disney Fantasy. So, every group of people has their own share of snobs.

I was thinking the same thing. I am sure there are some snobs who regularly sail Silversea or Crystal who would rather be caught dead than sail on some gross overcrowded mass-marketed Disney cruise.

While the "kiddie" nature of the Disney brand might dissuade your stereotypical "booze cruiser" or "party cruiser", there are nonetheless plenty of rude, arrogant, entitled and ill-mannered people on these longer, more expensive DCL itineraries. "Money" does not equal "class".

 

[com_op_2000]

What DW and I love about DCL.
Let me count the reasons:
1. Trust in the Disney name
2. The shows
3. The characters and watching the interactions with fellow passengers
4. The free drink station 24/7
5. The quite pool for adults
6. Being able to party if we decide to do so but also having the choice of doing nothing and still having a great time
7. Finding that the total cost of cruise is less overall to us when everything is added together of what we get for the price we pay
8. The larger state rooms than other lines
9. The deck parties
10. No casino
11. No loud college party atmosphere
12. Not being nickeled and dimed to pay for additional things (IE: Coke package)

 

[cktrotter]

On our first disney cruise our youngest was standing at the railing the floor above the atrium during the farewell show and he yelled down to mickey "see ya real soon!" Mickey looked up and gave him a huge wave up top, the whole atrium started laughing. The look on our son's little face was priceless.

When we told our children we booked another disney cruise our almost 12 year old started crying. Middle school win DCL.

 

[JimGA]

This thread should be renamed why the DCl snobs love DCL??? Good grief.ive done my share of DCl cruises, but Im not going to degrade people that cant afford or choose not to pay their prices.

the post was titled "Why do YOU sail DCL" ?

 

[Dug720]

I cruise with Disney because simply put I love pretty much everything about it.

I have cruised Holland America - never again...rude staff with varying levels of competence (servers constantly forgetting things at meals such as the SAUCE with the SOUFFLE; the Guest Services girl closing my account without clicking the final step so the last morning when an excursion was waiting on me I had to go back to Guest Services and wait in the line I thought I was avoiding by closing the night before for someone to click the final step so I could leave), everything reeks of smoke, just not fun at all.

I have cruised RCCL - meh...if that is my only choice I'd think about it. Not horrible, but overall not the level of service I consistently get on DCL. The one notable exception was my cabin steward on Brilliance this summer who was AMAZING - Disney caliber...and she flat out said if she didn't have the seniority she did with RCCL she would interview with Disney in a heartbeat. I encouraged her to contact them and see if there was ANY chance of anything because she seriously would fit right into the crew of a DCL ship.

I'm going on fathom over Christmas, but that's for a very different type of cruise, so it's not really fair to compare.

People ask me all the time "But aren't they overrun with kids??" and I tell them honestly I have been MUCH more aware of the kids on RCCL and especially HAL than I ever have been on DCL because of the way things are set up.

It's a lot of intangibles all added up together, but given my choices, I'll pick Disney every time.

 

[Jess_S]

I have shared more or less these same sentiments before, but here I go again:

I initially chose DCL when my son was in diapers because DCL had things he could enjoy like the splash area and the open houses at the clubs. Based upon my experience on that first cruise, I'm unlikely to go back to cruising NCL, a line I had previously accrued a lot of loyalty points on. On NCL, I booked suites and so I was getting their highest level of service. I found that on DCL, the service was better in a standard cabin than it is on an NCL suite. The difference for me comes down to the personal nature of the service. On DCL, everyone from our servers to our cabin steward took the time to find out what we personally liked and did not like.

On NCL, the staff had a set idea of what "good service" should be and it didn't matter to them what our preferences were. For example, even though we told our butler on the first day that we were vegetarians, we got a tray of meat canapes every day. Every day I would tell the butler to please stop bringing them, but next day, there they were because suite guests get canapes in the afternoon. Similarly, I had the same conversation with the staff in the suite restaurant every morning when I showed up for breakfast without my husband. "Where is your husband. We'll wait til he arrives to seat you." "Please seat me now. My husband likes to sleep in and he does not get up for breakfast on vacations." "Are you sure? I think I just saw him here."

If you compare an NCL suite to a DCL oceanview, the prices are pretty much the same, so this is a no-brainer for me. I get better service in a DCL oceanview, so that's what I'm going to choose.

 

[Flossbolna]

On DCL, everyone from our servers to our cabin steward took the time to find out what we personally liked and did not like.

On NCL, the staff had a set idea of what "good service" should be and it didn't matter to them what our preferences were.

I really liked your comparison with that regard. And while I miss the ability to compare to another line, I understand what you are saying very well. One of the things I always found a bit scary about DCL before my first cruise was people talking about how they had become such great friends with their servers and how there were magic tricks and what not. This is not something I would enjoy. I prefer to talk to my group during dinner, not to the server. And I am not fond of magic tricks at all. Not one cruise did we have a server who was like that. At least not to us. They seemed to be really good in reading what we wanted and while they were like that on other tables they were serving, they were not to us. And that without giving us any feeling of being neglected at all.

 

[Ofinn]

the post was titled "Why do YOU sail DCL" ?

Yeah I got that, and I answered that question in my first post. Being that this is a discussion board I have the right to respond to your posts.

 

[phinz]

On DCL I saw crew members on the outside of the ship on port days cleaning the porthole windows on deck 1 so folks would have a clear view. We had a porthole room on another cruise line and the window got sea spray on it on Day 1 of the cruise. We stopped at three ports but the porthole stayed dirty the entire cruise. And the traffic pattern on that "other" ship included going through a smoky casino. Yuck!

This was a major thing for us on our Alaska Princess cruise. We paid the extra for a Vista Suite. This would seem to suggest that the vista is an important part of the cruise. Not so, apparently, to our stateroom host. The sliding glass doors to our verandah were so coated in salt and grime it was hard to see out. We actually used a wet towel to clean a portion of the window so we could see out. It was the fifth day before he got a squeegee and water and cleaned the window so we could see. I was pretty disappointed.

I will say that, on the Crown Princess at least, you really didn't have to go near the casino if you didn't want to, since it was pretty much at the end of the hallway.

 

[Ofinn]

I was thinking the same thing. I am sure there are some snobs who regularly sail Silversea or Crystal who would rather be caught dead than sail on some gross overcrowded mass-marketed Disney cruise.

While the "kiddie" nature of the Disney brand might dissuade your stereotypical "booze cruiser" or "party cruiser", there are nonetheless plenty of rude, arrogant, entitled and ill-mannered people on these longer, more expensive DCL itineraries. "Money" does not equal "class".

Yes we noticed that on our Iceland cruise. It was very different. I overheard lots of complaining about little things. Everytime I sat in the Jacuzzi I was in their with someone talking about their stock portfolio, nanny situation or the private school there kids were going to. I really had nothing to add to those conversations. Very sedate crowd.....yawn. There is nothing wrong with that it was just different. We did witness a fight between a couple of families where security had to be called no alcohol involved. I'm not a fan of booze cruises, but I do like a little more energy than we experienced on our last cruise. Disney European cruises are very expensive so it was a different. The itinerary was great, but as far as the cruise it was my least favorite.

 

[ratt1345]

Without reading the other posts, I can tell you why for myself. I know that I will get Disney quality for everything I do and see. And it is well worth the higher cost over the other lines.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I love DCL I think it's like the parks for us it's just the attention to detail. I felt the same about the non Disney theme parks. We are going to try RCI at some point just to compare because they offer different itineraries. I wonder if we will be thinking of DCL the whole time... Going on a b2b in 1 week on The Dream yeah!

 

[JimGA]

Yeah I got that, and I answered that question in my first post. Being that this is a discussion board I have the right to respond to your posts.

This is a Discussion Board, however, this particular thread is a Question. Go discuss elsewhere on other discussion threads.

 

[Ofinn]

This is a Discussion Board, however, this particular thread is a Question. Go discuss elsewhere on other discussion threads.

No I think I have things that I can contribute to this discussion. Thank you very much. Most threads start out as questions and turn into discussions or debates that's what makes boards interesting. If your going to post that people that sail on DCL are a better class of people you better expect to get a response. Someone might take offense to that.

 

[Sanchez]

No I think I have things that I can contribute to this discussion. Thank you very much. Most threads start out as questions and turn into discussions or debates that's what makes boards interesting. If your going to post that people that sail on DCL are a better class of people you better expect to get a response. Someone might take offense to that.

Well, I don't take offense but his comments are narrow-minded and self-serving.

We sail Disney because they have the best cruises for children. Not so much for adults. We will likely go again if/when we have grandchildren.

So many people lump "all other cruise lines and ships" together when comparing. There is a broad spectrum of choices and some people are simply unwilling to believe that other lines have better products. That is okay as I have found that some people thrive on the security of a known product and are unwilling to take a chance on something else. Also, many people feel obligated to defend choices they make.

As to the assertion that Disney draws a higher class of passengers, I would disagree with that. Sure, there are an infinite number of 3-4 day booze cruises on older ships out there. However, when you make an appropriate comparison (newer ship/longer itinerary) the sophistication of passengers is probably similar. In my experience Disney relies on passengers with one or two star experience and expectations, provides a three star experience, and charges for five stars. The fact that so many consider "free" soda a reason to choose DCL proves that point.

 

[JimGA]

No I think I have things that I can contribute to this discussion. Thank you very much. Most threads start out as questions and turn into discussions or debates that's what makes boards interesting. If your going to post that people that sail on DCL are a better class of people you better expect to get a response. Someone might take offense to that.

If you are going to attack people and bully them on this discussion board I hope you would at least quote people correctly and not make assumptions as to their intent. Here is my phrase from my answer to a question "tends to keep an undesirable crowd that we tend to avoid" Where in that quote did I say the crowd I like to avoid is a lower class person ????? You can assume all you want but please do not formulate and write your opinion on a discussion board about someones response and totally mis quote it.

It's Bullies like you on this discussion board that keep decent people away from responding to threads in the fear of being attacked like you are doing.