DCL cruiser going on Carnival

[williamson_ja]

I have previously on gone on DCL and have absolutely loved the experience. Carnival wooed us with their low prices this year and we will be leaving on Friday for our first Carnival cruise. I'll be giving a short review when I get back to give some comparisons to the two lines just in case anyone is interested. Disney will always be my first love, but I really couldn't turn down a 7 night cruise for $230 per person! I really hope to be able to enjoy it at least a little bit. We can't cruise too frequently on Disney because of the pricing. It is an amazing product though and I'm sure that if I had unlimited money, I probably would never have considered another line. So, this information will be provided for folks like me that like to cruise but can't necessarily afford a Disney cruise every year. We have a family of 8, so it's a big price difference for us. :)

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

I will be interested to hear about your trip. Which ship are you sailing?

 

Eta: just noticed your ticker, so i see you are sailing on Liberty :)

[williamson_ja]

Yes, we are sailing on the Liberty which has recently gone through a dry dock and gotten several "improvements". We're doing the Western caribbean. I'm sure we'll miss Castaway Cay.... hoping we enjoy the other ports regardless. :)

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hope you have a great time and I will be waiting to read your comparrison. We tried Carnival a few years ago and loved the ports and food but that was it for us.

But to be fair to Carnival it was one of those trips where everything went wrong, and they really didnt have a good crew on the Glory. so other ships they have could be great!!

 

So now we are back to Disney.

[mdvlprof]

Carnival is different from DCL. If you're too busy comparing everything to DCL, you'll miss out on things. Manage expectations.

Been on a few Carnival cruises, haven't had a bad time yet. Although I prefer DCL.

[williamson_ja]

Carnival is different from DCL. If you're too busy comparing everything to DCL, you'll miss out on things. Manage expectations.

Been on a few Carnival cruises, haven't had a bad time yet. Although I prefer DCL.

I've been researching it for a while and I am very well aware that it will be different from Disney. That being said, we are all going into it with a good attitude and knowing that different doesn't necessarily mean bad. At any rate, we are very curious to see how it goes.

[Cruiselady1954]

If it's anything like our cruise out of Baltimore- you'll never return to Carnivale. They herd you like cattle into a feww spaces and have you wait about 3 hours to get off the boat at the end of the cruise. That was my first and last time on Carniuvalke

[Ellanora]

I love them both equally. They are two completely diffferent products, and there are certainly tradeoffs. Disney's staterooms are much more beautiful and special, but there's nothing wrong with Carnival's rooms, and for a third of the price, I have no complaints there. (Though Carnival appears to finally be improving staterooms on the new Breeze.) I get good food, good entertainment, good relaxation, and good family time with my son on both.

 

The price for my upcoming 8 night Carnival Valor cruise is almost exactly the same as the price for my just completed 3 night Disney Dream cruise. The Disney Dream was my favorite ship so far, but believe me, I will love every second of my Valor cruise. :p

 

Have a great time on Liberty, her upgrades look great!! :D

[bunnyman]

I've done four Carnival cruises through the years, and some were great, and some were mediocre. That being said, the last two were with our two daughters, who had great times. The only somewhat mediocre time we had was on one of the inaugural cruises for the Carnival Triumph, and they were still working out the bugs so we were somewhat accepting. Last cruise on Carnival was the Miracle in summer of 2009. The food, service, and shows were very good, and actually thought improvements over prior trips on Carnival.

[Friend100]

Different cruiseline, different product, different price, different expectation, different experience.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Bunkie103]

We're doing just the reverse and going on DCL for the first time after reaching Platinum Status on Carnival. We're relatively easy to please and have loved most of our Carnival cruises, but this time will be traveling with our DS, DIL, and their 4yo son. Really anxious to see how it goes. The price was certainly quite different, but I hear it's worth it.

 

Bon Voyage and enjoy the Liberty!:D