Disney Cruise vs Royal Carribean About This Page:

[rlb38]

I went to a few of the cruise web sites mentioned in my DCL passporter book. One of the sites says it recommends Royal Carribean Freedom Class ships for families over Disney. There were also many negative reviews of some Disney cruises. I priced out similar Western Carribean cruises between these 2 cruise lines and it's $1200 more for the Disney Cruise. I love Disney and was all set to commit but this has me second guessing what to do.

I hoping for some stories from those who have cruised Royal or any other line and do some comparisons with the DCL. This would be a first cruise for me my DH and our daughter 11.

Any help in appreciated!! I'm so
thanks Roberta

[Deppluver]

Originally Posted by rlb38

I went to a few of the cruise web sites mentioned in my DCL passporter book. One of the sites says it recommends Royal Carribean Freedom Class ships for families over Disney. There were also many negative reviews of some Disney cruises. I priced out similar Western Carribean cruises between these 2 cruise lines and it's $1200 more for the Disney Cruise. I love Disney and was all set to commit but this has me second guessing what to do.

I hoping for some stories from those who have cruised Royal or any other line and do some comparisons with the DCL. This would be a first cruise for me my DH and our daughter 11.

Any help in appreciated!! I'm so
thanks Roberta

I just got back from a disney cruise today. It was awsome. Who care what anyone else says. Who cares if the disney cruise is more money. Honestly it is worth the extra money! Everyone was very friendly, there was always something to do, and you dont wanna miss Castaway Cay. The first day we were at Castaway, later in the day it got a little cloudy and we saw a water funnel (or two). I was so cool. It seemed close, but it was far from the island and the ship. It didnt even touch ground (or in this case, water). Both days at Castaway, the weather was amazing. This was my first cruise so I don't know about comparing to other cruises, but I can tell you, it was never a dull moment on the ship. This morning as I was leaving the ship for the last time on the trip, I was so sad to leave. It's an amazing experience. Especially since at the Pirate party, there are fireworks (apparently Disney is the only cruise line allowed to do fireworks from out at sea, which makes it truely special and awsome) If you love Disney, then you will love this cruise. There is always something going on for anyone of any age. I definately recommend the Disney cruise!

[sueh818]

Did the RCL quote include all the port charges and fees? The disney price includes those.

Also the kids programs are more extensive on the Disney cruise.

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by Deppluver

and you dont wanna miss Castaway Cay.

That right there is the reason I would chose Disney over any other line. On the West Coast, I'll be honest and say I'm not sure if I'd do DCL or RC (I really dislike Carnival, BTW) and would probably look at $$$ as a deciding factor. But Castaway Cay? A tropical paradise that only one ship will dock at? Pristine beaches, hammocks, separate beaches, ship ammenities (including Oceaneers Club), etc.? Yeah, if you like Disney, you gotta do it!

I've been telling people since we got back from our December cruise that they need to do DCL just to experience Castaway Cay.

[rlb38]

I must say after reading the Passporter DCL book I was looking forward to the Castaway Cay stop. Great to have a stop where lunch is included and you're right at the beach.
I have never cruised before and it's a bit daunting trying to choose. I hope the comments will keep coming. So far the opinions are swaying me to Disney.

[modisney]

We've done one cruise aboard the Wonder and are going again next year I never thought to compare with the other cruise lines out there as I felt Disney would do the best job of providing a quality experience for families. Our cruise was just that, quality all the way. A huge plus for me is no casinos on board and no real "party" people. I think most of the other cruise lines do have casinos on board. I also loved the subdued elegance of the ship. It didn't have that "over the top" Las Vegas feel to it. I like the fact that most staterooms offer a balcony on the Disney ships (don't know how that compares to the other lines). We felt that the dining experiences on board were very nice. I also think that most folks don't realize that there are activities and areas on board just for adults. You can spend as much or little time with your children. I also thought the ship was immaculate in terms of cleanliness. Then there's Castaway Cay. That's reason alone to go. The fireworks off the ship, the musical horn are another couple of ways Disney has gone out of their way to come up with one of kind extras to offer their guests. I think you can read lots of books but posting boards like this are where you're going to get your best info. Good luck with your research and while it is extra money, I don't think you'd regret spending it to cruise with Disney.

[Hartster]

I honestly don't have a preference, even though my Disney experience was limited to a three-day on the Wonder (I've also sailed Carnival and NCL, and if you count it - Discovery to the Bahamas.)

On both NCL and Disney we went with my (younger) brother-in-law, though I really didn't spend that much time with him. He's at that age where he wants to do stuff by himself. I liked NCL's Freestyle, so much so that we ate (I think) our last three meals in one of restaurants, versus a different restaurant every night on Disney.

Most of my time on board ship has been wandering around, discovering the ship, and doing the trivia contests and watching the shows. I'm also pretty much easygoing, and as long as I can do those activities and run around the ports and see what I want to do see and make my photos.... how I get there doesn't matter much to me (which is probably why I'm one of the few people that hasn't complained about Discovery.)

[queenofheartsfan]

We have cruised on DCL and RCI. We really prefer DCL. The RCI ship was much bigger (much more crowded) and alot of the things that are included in the DCL price was extra for RCI (soda package, several restaurants). If you are a big Disney fan, I would really recommend spending the extra $$ for DCL. Just can't beat the disney atmosphere and service!

Jackie

[DISNEYGOOF]

We've done Carnival and Disney. Carnival was a good for the budget but I prefer Disney. I remember standing on the Carnival deck getting ready to leave port, hearing the "when you wish upon a star" Disney horn. I wanted to jump ship I couldn't wait til I could be on the other side looking at the Carnival ship

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Originally Posted by DISNEYGOOF

We've done Carnival and Disney. Carnival was a good for the budget but I prefer Disney. I remember standing on the Carnival deck getting ready to leave port, hearing the "when you wish upon a star" Disney horn. I wanted to jump ship I couldn't wait til I could be on the other side looking at the Carnival ship

The first time I sailed on the wonder I saw people looking down on us from the Caraval ship beside us as we left the port, I windered how many of them were looking down wishing they were on our ship as we had a live band playing.

[minniemanor]

I took my kids on Royal Caribbean before I took them on Disney. I wanted to make sure they liked cruising first and I knew they would love anything Disney just b/c it was Disney. Royal Caribbean has an excellent kids program and their newer ships are huge and have a lot of different types of activities (ice skating, rock climbing, mini-golf, surfing). All cruise lines have a private island but not all of their ships go to it for every cruise. Disney's cabins are huge compared to most other cruise lines and the food is much better than Royal Caribbean. Most Royal Caribbean ships have 2 restaurants that you pay extra for (Disney has Palo), they will also charge you more for soda and other types of drinks. The shows on the Disney ships are significantly better than anything you will see on Royal Caribbean plus there is no casino and limited smoking areas. Yes you pay more for Disney but you get a lot more for your money as well!

[Mom of three 1971]

We frequently cruise, and have done both disney and RCCL. We will do BOTH again. RCCL has great kids programs and some things Disney does not have...mini golf, ice skating, rock wall etc. Having said that Castaway Cay is much nicer than Coco Cay, RCCL island and Labadee Rccl private beach in Haiti. I actualy though the dining room food on RCCL was better, but Palo was definately on par with RCCL "reservation" dining alternatives: Chops and Portofino. And No one can compare with Palo's brunch! I would say it was a toss up except for two things....service and characters. My children went crazy to see all their faves especially in the shows..which are amazing! And while service on RCCL is generally very good, Disney was outstanding. I have heard that Disney's cabins are bigger. I can't comment on smaller rooms but I will say that the Walt Disney Suite was significantly larger than the Royal Family Suite. However, newer ships have a Presidential suite that holds something like 10-12 people that I am looking forward to trying out.
If you are trying to save some money on the trip you will likey spend less on an RCCL, not just on the cruise prices but their are significantly less "goody items" on RCCL. I couldn't get my kids out of Disney"s gift shops, not to mention myself!!! Off ship excursions will usually be the same price. With Disney it boils down to paying for the magic, but, YES, it is worth it!

[Dave Marx]

When you compare comments by cruisers at "general cruising" web sites to comments from folks here (who have a definite Disney bias), you will certainly see some differences of opinion. That's what they are, opinions. There's not necessarily a right or wrong. I've cruised on both lines, and I personally prefer Disney hands-down, but I've also been impressed by many things on Royal Caribbean. These days, though, folks in the cruising industry tend to compare DCL with Celebrity head-to-head (Celebrity is a more up-scale line, also operated by Royal Caribbean). In polls among frequent cruisers, DCL and Celebrity generally beat out Royal Caribbean, and Carnival doesn't even come close.

If you don't appreciate Disney's films, characters, and other contributions to our culture, then there may be little point paying extra to cruise with Disney. If you want to cruise as often as possible and for as long as possible (something that is often true of folks who hang out at cruising forums), you'll get more bang for your buck from Royal Caribbean.

To me, one of the most striking differences between other lines and DCL is that DCL is run by an entertainment company. That doesn't just affect the quality of the entertainment, but the entire approach to the guest experience. Just as at the theme parks, the entire cruise is a "show," and, while "on stage," every crew member is playing a part.

Still, I have to say that the ice show on RCI (on those ships that have it) is a marvel - it's a small rink, yet the skaters still skate all-out. I've been less impressed with the rest of RCI's live entertainment.

I love the layout of the long, central atrium on the larger RCI ships, with dining rooms on one end, theater on the other, shops and optional restaurants in the middle, and the casino below. It ties all the indoor public spaces together beautifully, and it makes it very easy to move from one to the next (some other lines ships more closely resemble a maze).

From everything I've observed, RCI's climbing walls get very little use, and I suspect the artificial surfing pool is similar on those ships that have it - they seem to be more effective as marketing tools than as recreational features for the masses. People are excited to try them, but most walk away a little while later, because you have to be pretty athletic to do either of those well.

You'll pay less for your entertainment on Disney than on nearly every other line. DCL has a half-dozen or so round-the-clock free movie channels on stateroom TV - half live action, half animated features - great to have when you're cruising with kids. Most of the other lines offer pay-per-view. Disney is also one of the few, or only, lines that still has a separate movie theater (and Disney's is a beauty). It'll be showing first-run and recently-released Disney films 16-18 hours every day, again at no extra charge. I consider casinos to be entertainment, and it's certainly extra-cost entertainment to all but a lucky few. . Of course, spas, art auctions (if you buy something) and shore excursions cost extra on every line, so Disney doesn't have an advantage in that regard.

Disney does a much better job of providing kid-free zones for the adults. On some lines, the only kid-free zones are the casino and spa (notice, both are places where you have to pay extra). On DCL roughly 1/3 of deck 3 and 1/3 of deck 9 are adult-only areas, including a separate adults-only pool, and much of that is no-charge space. DCL is especially good in this regard when it comes to teens. Disney may run the only truly effective teen program among the family-oriented cruise lines, which means there are far fewer teens hanging out in the lobbies and other public gathering places.

[jhoshowski]

I love all things Disney, and we will be doing a Disney cruise next November. However, my DS9 hates missing school. He is only doing it next year because his grandparents asked him, since we are celebrating their anniversary. My DH would like for us to cruise more now that the boys are older. So I checked out rates for a 7 night cruise in the summer (checked 2009, since that is the farthest out I could go). Disney was DOUBLE the price of RCCL or CCL. I love Disney, but I can't pay over $8000 for a cruise - at least not any time soon. I am hoping that with the new ships giving Disney more availability, they can lower prices some. If not, I may not be able to cruise with Disney again for a long time.

[WestPalmBucsFan]

Something else I didn't see mentioned above.

One of the ladies my wife works with went on a RCL (Freedom of the Seas) at the same time we did our Disney Cruise. On their ship the kids program shut down at 10pm and then charged $5/hr hour per kid after that. That's not to mention that after 10 all they had were cots for the kids to try and sleep on and a movie in the background. On our cruise the night of the pirate party we took our youngest son to the kids club (around 10pm or later) and they were going to the basketball courts to play games.

As far as kids are concerned Disney is top notch and CANNOT be beat. We can't wait to do another one!