DCL vs Carnival, Norwegian, RCI, etc.? - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Location: Bartlett, IL, 40 miles from Chicago's Loop
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 20
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 0
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
Seasoned cruiser and HANDS DOWN - DISNEY DOES IT BEST!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Marx
I've been on RCI, Holland America, and Carnival in addition to DCL:
A) Nobody else does a family cruise like Disney
B) Only Disney has free movies as well as live entertainment - others offer hotel-style pay-per-view movies in the stateroom
C) Operating hours and age-appropriateness of Disney's kids club. On some cruises on other lines, if there are too few kids, they don't bother opening the clubs at all. 4 age groups that align very well with early elementary, late elementary, middle, and high school cohorts. Some lines don't have a teen program at all.
D) No other line offers a nursery for ages 0-2, with a dedicated childcare staff. The others offer either in-room sitting by moonlighting crew members or a limited-hours "we'll watch your sleeping child in his/her stroller between 11:00pm and 1:00am in the regular kids club area" program (so, no service during the day or dinner hours, only when you might be interested in spending at the casino).
E) No casino on DCL - the space is used for adults-only and kids-only spaces.
F) Re: upcharges - While DCL is very gentle in this regard (soft drinks ordered from the bars, drinks delivered by room service, just one or two extra-cost restaurants), much less hawking of drinks around the pool, etc., no pay-per-view entertainment, somewhat lower drink prices, "free" soda widely available... it's all factored into your fare. As with Disney's pay-one-price theme park tickets, you probably end up paying more for the package than you would pay as-you-go. It just feels so much better to not spend every time you turn around.
G) Food can be a toss-up - I've had very good main dining room meals on all the lines.
H) Room size - Disney, hands-down
I) Split Bathroom - unique to Disney, makes a huge different for families
J) Stateroom design - many subtle differences that make DCL's much more suitable for 3-4 people.
K) DCL is run by an entertainment company, and it shows in every aspect of their entertainment. The other lines are hotel operators first and foremost.
L) While there are more kids on DCL, DCL's kids and teens programs are so good that kids are much less likely to be found hanging around, trying to crash the adult areas, etc. For lines that try to attract families, DCL does a much better job of providing adults-only service.
There are many other differences. I can't stand Carnival's garish decor. It's like being at a cheap casino, as far as I'm concerned. The other lines do better on decor - so no complaints there, other than I like Disney's combination of elegance and Disney "culture" (animation art, music, etc.)
Of Marnie's comments, I'll note that the new ships (Dream and Fantasy) do have interactive stateroom TV for billing, etc. (even photos from the ship's photographers) and that the seating space at Cabanas (pool deck buffet) on the new ships is more generous than any other ship I've been on. Lines are minimal, and there's lots of room to move around with laden trays without dodging other guests or squeezing through narrow pathways.
I have yet to experience the Dream ship but I do feel Disney does it best with customer service and space is ample. Food and entertainment is top notch and no casinos. My hubby and I have been on both the Magic and Wonder a total of 5 times.
I did a family reunion cruise with my dad and young wife and four kids ages 4, 6, 9, & 12, my brother and wife and niece 3, husbands brother and wife and niece 5 and nephew 11, and us (no kids). Our cabins were all near each other, dad had the Walt Suite, while the rest of us had one bedrooms suites. We had a blast and a huge dining table that ironically was not as chaotic as I thought it would be. All the kids loved the a blast and loved the Ocean-ears Club and I can't remember the other club but us big kids actually had a vacation to relax and enjoy the cruise for the 7 days.
Everyone loved Castaway Cay and at least twice a year I get asked if we are going on a family cruise again?
i think im in off season im going on the dream sep 9th until 13th
Yes, that would be "off" season, as most kids are back in school. We cruised early Oct last year, and the ship was full though! DCL is amazing. You'll have a great time!!
__________________
Looking forward to another Christmas with The Mouse!!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
