DCL vs other cruiselines

[Kenny1113]

We are thinking about taking a 7 night eastern carribbean cruise in April 09. We have done a 4 night on DCL,(kids loved it) and are contimplating going back on DCL , but the RCCL and carnival are much cheaper and go to better islands. I know that DCL is smaller and great service which is way better. ANyone done both and can give me more pros and cons. Thanks

BTW we are a fam of 4 with 2 boys (will be 5 and 7 when we cruise)

[ElenitaB]

My pros for sailing with DCL (and with airfares what they are, I will confess that I am sorely tempted to check out the cruiselines that sail out of NY harbor):

- No gambling on board
- Truly wonderful (no pun intended ) kids' activities... not an afterthought but one of DCL's reasons for being
- Separate adult's/kid's areas (and not just the bars)
- Shows that don't contain anything that would require an explanation to DS (and I'm far from a prude)
- Dining room servers who are as interested in pleasing DS as much as they are in pleasing me (no looking at kids as a "necessary evil")

I'm sure others will pipe in as well. Just the noise of the Carnival ships when they pull in alongside the Wonder in Nassau is reason enough for me to never sail on them.

[DOPEY321]

I also only cruised DCL and my kids loved it. They actually preferred it to Diisney World,but this time around, I have to say that I went with RCI because being from NY, I will save on the airfare and the cost difference between the 2 lines. That's the $ we will use to spend on our vacation. I don't think we could have cut it if we had to fly out and rent a hotel room for the night.

I think mosssts people on a thread will choose that particular line. You need to take in all the info. and make a choice based on your family.

Good luck

[sisterdisco]

Let me 1st say that I love WDW.....there is no comparison.

I went on Disney Magic in 2003. It was wonderful but........it was a fortune.

I have been on Carnival, Princess and NCL (7 total cruises).

I have to say that I actually preferred the Caribbean Princess.

---Caribbean Princess is an awesome ship. Service is fantastic. They have a kids program--it is not disney by any means, but it is more than adequate. Food is better on Carnival. While more expensive than other cruises, it is WAY cheaper than DCL>

---Carnival---ships are decorated tacky---entertainment is good, but not to Disney standards. Kids program is GREAT---
WAY CHEAPER THAN DISNEY---last trip we took, the kids actually went for $30 plus $149 port charges. So how can you turn down a price like that---

---NCL I don't recommend.

My advice is to try DCL once, and after that, get the best overall deal and have fun!

[DisneyDudet]

I have only cruised DCL, and I don't think I would recommend any other line. I see those other ships in the ports, and while they may look magnificant (Mariner of the Seas was in Canaveral and its AMZINGLY huge), it is what's inside that counts. I cannot imagine other lines coming close to what Disney does.

My parents have been on a Carnival cruise, and while it is cheaper, they say you get what you pay for.

Disney, you also get what you pay for. You have shows that are Broadway quality (and we do see stage musicals here in Texas that are touring from broadway, and you can't really see much of a difference), food that is of the highest quality and made just for you (special requests are not miffed), and a crew that make you feel like you are the only one on the ship.

My father is about saving money when it comes to vacations, but also wants a good time. He doesn't want to sail on another cruise line after being on DCL. He loves it so much, we're going for my 4th (their third) cruise next year to Tortola!

[meldan98]

My parents are Platinum members of the RCCL frequent cruiser program. They love RCCL, but they love DCL better.

They have been on the RCCL's version of Castaway Cay and they hated it. It was not a private island and was more of a sectioned off beach. There were vendors and beggars trying to get the RCCL guests to give them money. My mom now refuses to on that cruise ever again. She wishes that the DCL could just stay docked at Castaway Cay the entire time.

The food, service and shows on the DCL are also my parents favorite. They think that service on the DCL goes above and beyond on DCL as compared to the RCCL.

We used the kids program on the DCL for the first time in December and my DD loved it. If we would have let her, should could have stayed there and swim in the Mickey pool the entire cruise. My mom mentioned to me that on RCCL you see more kids around the ship during the day than you do during the DCL. I don't know if that is a reflection of the quality of the kids programs though.

[Mulan]

We've cruised DCL and Carnival. DCL was hands down a better cruise. We will not go on a Carnival again. The cheap price is just not worth it to us. I rather spend more money and have a vacation with great memories.

The staterooms on the DCL are bigger than Canival. We got an ocean view on the Carnival. Well to look out the window, you to stand on the bed. No place to store your luggage. Our had to sit against the wall. The bathroom was a shower with a 2" lip. So when you took a shower and the boat rocked water would go everywhere.

DCL by far has a better kids club. I wouldn't even call Carnival a kids club. They didn't have many scheduled activities and the few they had would be cancelled at the last minute. Our oldest DD got old of that. They had a room for our younger DD that had a few tables with games and a few tv's. If your child is in the kids club after 10:00 pm then it becomes babysitting at $3 every 15 minutes. Plus the kids club wasn't open all day long. They took lunch and dinner breaks.

The above are things that are easily compared and the next few are only opions. The food is best on DCL. It seems that there was a better variety of food. The wait staff on DCL seemed to make sure we were enjoying our dinner and time there. On Carnival it was more like being served at any restaurant at home. We had the 6:30 seating and service was slow. The first and second night, our dessert didn't come until almost 8:00 and the second seating guest were coming in. And we allows got to dinner on time. If you wanted to have an adult drink, you had to go to a bar and get it yourself (I'm talking about a glass of wine).

I know people go on all cruise lines and love them. But for my family it will be DCL only. We will pay the higher price and will walk away feeling like every penny was well worth it.

[Spaceship Tigger]

They have been on the RCCL's version of Castaway Cay and they hated it. It was not a private island and was more of a sectioned off beach. There were vendors and beggars trying to get the RCCL guests to give them money. My mom now refuses to on that cruise ever again. She wishes that the DCL could just stay docked at Castaway Cay the entire time.

We just returned from a RCCL cruise that included a stop at Coco Cay (RCCL's private island). It was not a sectioned off beach, but a very nice island. They do not own the island but they permenantely rent all of it so there is nothing on the island except RCCL activities and buildings. You can walk around the whole of the island and choose a secluded beach spot completely away from everyone else. There are roving vendors selling drinks, but other than that there are absolutely no 'beggars' on the island. RCCL also owns a beach area in Haiti called Labadee, which may be what your parents are thinking of, but I hear it is very nice as well.

We compared several cruise lines before choosing our vacation, lincluding DCL and RCCL. I'm sure the DCL ships are incredibly nice, but the price they wanted for a 4 night Bahamas cruise was more than double what we booked on RCCL for. We were utterly amazed at the price difference. Furthermore, the RCCL ships (the big ones especially) have as many activities for children and families as DCL and the Freedom family of ships have been named best for families by a number of publications. This class has age-specific kids programs, minigolf, ice skating, and complete 'water park' areas.

I absolutely love WDW, but right now they seem to be quite overpriced for a very comparable cruise experience (at least to RCCL).

[Kennywife]

We've only sailed DCL and are going again next June for our 3 year anniversary. I love Disney and the cruise is fabulous! We dont have kids, but we really enjoy it! Kenny and I will spend all day in the adults only area adn love the dining experiences! We have a balcony room next year!!!!!

Anna

[NJGIRL]

I have been on many cruise lines and this is my opinion.

The Disney Cruise is great and we are going again in Oct but it is overpriced. Other cruise lines are just as nice with the same quality of food, service and entertainment at a lesser cost. IMO the only reason to pay more for a Disney cruise is if you want to be surrounded by the Disney theme.

The only line I would avoid is Carnival because I thought that while the food was good it was not on par with other lines, the decor is tacky and it is definately a "party" boat for very young people.

[Tink1]

it is definately a "party" boat for very young people.

I sailed the Triumph (New England/Canada) and the Legend (Eastern Caribbean) out of NYC and did not find that at all. I took my 70-something mom on the Triumph and much to her surprise, she enjoyed it. She had thought "party boat" prior to sailing as well. I think alot depends on the ship and the itinerary. Long weekend cruises on any line are more a party atmosphere.

I am planning on the Miracle out of NYC doing Exotic Caribbean next June and looking forward to it.

I just got back from Alaska on the Celebrity Infinity and it was great.

I sailed RCCL Serenade 4 years ago to Alaska and while the weather was better 4 years ago, the food was better on Celebrity. In fact, the food on Carnival was better then my RCCL and NCL cruises.

Nanc

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I think DCL has great amenities for kids.
2) Obviously families and kids are the target customer!
3) And they have accomplished it well.
4) VERY well.

5) Beyond kids' programs, we think other cruise lines are better
. . . better food
. . . better ports of call
. . . better service
. . . gambling
. . . live entertainment (in our opinion)
. . . dancing

NOTE: This is not a condemnation or a criticism of DCL. Like other entertainment venues, they have their audience and cater well to it. But, for other customers, there are better planned cruise lines.

[I take the Ferry]

Yeah, but what about the horn?

Ah, the horn.

K, Slater!
I take the Ferry!