For those who have cruised both Carnival and Disney

[jcearth]

So our last 3 cruises have been on Carnival (Legend, Holiday, and Fascination), and we will be sailing Carnival Dream next year, but having young children (boys of 6, 4 and 3) my wife and I decided to test the Disney waters. I found a February rate that wasn't terrible for Disney, and we will be sailing on the Disney Dream in 70 days. I am very excited to try the Aquaduck and the slides on Castaway Cay, but I was wondering for those that have done both lines -- what sorts of differences can I expect from the Disney experience? Some things that I have uncovered in my research:

 

No fees after 10 PM for babysitting in the kids club (we paid about $150 for this in Sept)

 

Soda is free in dining rooms and on the pool deck.

 

You can bring any alcohol on board in your carry-on (if the Cheers! program is still available on the Carnival Dream next Sept, it will save me a bundle)

 

Kids club available on private island

 

No comedians on Disney (that I am aware of)

 

Disney has an additional buffet in one of the dining rooms for breakfast, in addition to MDR seating and top deck buffet.

 

Outside of service and food quality differences (which are always variables), is there anything else I am missing?

 

Also, how does Castaway Cay compare to Half Moon Cay (a little slice of heaven, IMO)?

[Manatee Mom]

Hi we haven't done the Disney Dream but have done the Wonder and Magic. My boys are older now and enjoy CCL more but still want to try the DD for the waterslide and tween/teen areas.

 

The kids camp at the younger ages (especially if the kids love disney characters) is great on Disney. They have dress up time (priate & princess) they have character storytelling and so much more. I know on the ships we were on they even had an indoor playarea with slides and tunnels (kinda like chuck e cheese) but nicer. They also have a much better check-in/out process for camp.

 

The kids club on castaway cay is a fenced in area with a playground and other activites (I think there was even a small pool). It is all outdoors but they do have activities for the kids. When we went to Castaway it was beautiful and we had a great time, lots of things to do and lots of areas to explore. We finally just this year got to half moon cay and we loved it also. The cabanas on disney are real cabanas not like half moon. We did find the beach area nicer on half moon. But there is so much more to do on Castaway.

 

They do have an adult only area with nightclubs. When we went they did have comedians but that was a few years ago.

 

Where the soda machines are out by the pool they also had Milk on it available at all times.

 

Disney also does a few theme nights when we went one was pirate and the other was white. At dinner in MDR they will give you bandanas for pirate night.

 

Dinsey Dinning you have 3 MDR but your waiter moves with you. It was nice to have a different room each night and they are much more kid friendly you can even get the chocolate covered mickey ice cream on a stick like in the parks for dessert.

 

There is also an indoor movie theatre on Disney showing some new release disney movies. We were on the day finding nemo was released the they had a hugh screaning with special buttons for everyone.

 

The shows on Disney are like going to a Broadway show!

 

Hope this helps

[GTO-Girl]

We have sailed on the Disney Dream and I can tell you that you cannot compare Disney with any other lines when it comes to children. The other lines we have sailed on do a wonderful job with their children's program but Disney........is Disney.......that is why their rates are so high. If you found some decent rates then by all means you should take your children, even if it's just once. Everything from the shows to the dining experience will blow you away.

 

We booked one of the inside rooms with the virtual porthole and I think that's the greatest invention ever!!!! With everything coming throught the outside camera you felt like you had an oceanview room. And with the characters swimming by the porthole every so often made a cute experience for my granddaughters. (you can turn this feature off at any time for sleeping).

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise!!!!

[laumicmah]

Our 1st cruise was Disney on the Magic in 2007. We then jumped ship on over to CCL and will be doing our 7th CCL cruise in August.

 

Disney has no casino. Disney has free soda (self serve on pool deck). Disney has 3 MDRs that you rotate through each night and does do the 1 character buffet breakfast (they assign you 1 morning during the cruise). Disney has excellent service and you will notice this in the MDRs...way more attentive than CCL is (or they were in 2007). Now, my inlaws all went on the Dream right after last Xmas and they were not thrilled (was very crowded...the Disney Magic has less passengers per square foot than the new Disney Dream...they really piled on the passenger capacity without enlarging the public space areas...but that is very similar to CCL's larger ships too). The pay extra steakhouse is adults only (unlike CCL who allows kids) and is very difficult to get a resie, so if you are interested you should book ASAP. The kids clubs are phenomenal...my kids never wanted to leave and even ate with them several nights (so we could do the steakhouse 1 night). My kids NEVER do the CCL kids clubs (tried it out the very 1st cruise and did not like it), but Disney really does the kids stuff right. I thought food was a touch better on Disney. And the shows are better too. Disney def puts out a better product (just not double better and their price is double than CCL's, if not more than double...so we prefer CCL).

 

Edited to add: love the movie theater too...I know you can see a movie at home, but if the weather is bad or you need some downtime it is nice to go see a movie and they do show movies before release. We saw The Game Plan on our Disney cruise...was pretty neat. And Castaway Cay is the bomb...better than Half Moon Cay...you just walk off ship (no tender :-)). It is one of my fave stops we've done on all 7 cruises I've been on (I like Grand Turk the best).

[Beebob1]

We have sailed on the Disney Dream and I can tell you that you cannot compare Disney with any other lines when it comes to children. The other lines we have sailed on do a wonderful job with their children's program but Disney........is Disney.......that is why their rates are so high. If you found some decent rates then by all means you should take your children, even if it's just once. Everything from the shows to the dining experience will blow you away.

 

We booked one of the inside rooms with the virtual porthole and I think that's the greatest invention ever!!!! With everything coming throught the outside camera you felt like you had an oceanview room. And with the characters swimming by the porthole every so often made a cute experience for my granddaughters. (you can turn this feature off at any time for sleeping).

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise!!!!

 

 

Ditto! DH and I sailed alone and adults enjoy just as much as kids.

[tiggerman101]

I just got off the Disney Dream last week. I have no children so I cannot speak on that part. I did pass by the children's clubs a few times and they looked awesome. You are right that there is soda 24 hours on the pool deck and in the restaurants. There are cup and lid dispensors next to the machines. The quality of most products are far supirior on Disney (lotins, shampoos, conditioner in the bathrooms). Check out the changing rooms in the spa (free) for a real treat (bathrobes, slippers, razors, aftershave, all sorts of lotions, etc).

 

I have never seen so much staff on a ship. They are cleaning everything, everywhere at all times. The ship was always picked up and nice. I didn't see any trash laying around anywhere. It was impressive considering the kid factor. The buffett is awesome and includes things like crab legs and shrimp everyday. I was very impressed with the buffett.

 

Castaway Cay is very well laid out and beautiful. I was not as big of a fan of the adult beach as I was the others. There are plenty of chairs everywhere and (gasp) umbrellas free of charge. The tram on the island is fast and convienant to take to the differnt parts. It is all very well done.

 

The indoor movie theatre is awesome and state of the art. I watchd 'Wreck it Ralph" in 3D and Lincoln there. They play moves all day and night. The main productions are very elaborate and well done. Two I really liked and one was a mess IMO (although the production was great). The other night they had a comedian ventriloquist that we didn't go to.

 

They have a whole adult area with different clubs that is nice. It was busy fairly early but died down after midninght. The ventriloquist did an adult show back there twice and it was very good.

 

One thing I loved about Disney is that they always have a cast member right there next to the professional photographer to take pictures of you with your own camera. They actually encourage it. That way you have your own pictures or you can buy the proffessional ones. Even when we got off at Castaway Cay they had Donald out there and a few other photo ops (away from the gangway so you could actually get off without a jam up). There were no professional photographers out there. Just crew waving you over to take pictures with your own camera. Pretty classy.

 

Downsides.......I loved the rotational dining and the restaurants were very nice. The menu sounds great and there were some very good items (fillet with shrimp was very good quality). Unfortunatly, a lot of the MDR food was not that great. I was really surprised by this. I got by with it and only had a few dishes that were bad, but my mother did not like most of what she got. It was surprising especially considering the buffet was so good.

 

Also, no matter what, the ship is crowded at times. The mid elevators can get very backed up. obviously, kids are everywhere. I could not imagine doing that cruise during the summer. We went early December hoping to alliviate some of this, but I still felt the crowds.

 

While I liked the Aqua Duck (go at night when the lights are flashing, there is no line and it feels like Space Mountain), the rest of the pool deck is pretty blah. The big screen out there is high quality, but the pools are way to small for this ship. I also wish the adult pool area was thought out better. As is, it is weird and vitually impossible to find a place in the sun in less you go up top.

 

It should be noted that we are not Disney people. We went to experience the ship and service. Overall, I am glad I did it, but I don't think I would do it again.

[mrpayroll]

HMC is very nice ( a slice of Heaven as you say ) Castaway Cay is a BIGGER slice of Heaven......:) Plus you dock right at Castaway Cay, no tendering...

[crusinfamof4]

We sailed the Disney Wonder in 2009. Our DSs loved it-they were 12 & 10 at the time. Us, not so much. We ate in the restaurant that goes from black and white to color during the course of the meal, the first night. We decided the MDR was not for us. Little did we know, on the Wonder, the buffet wasn't the buffet at dinner, but another MDR. As such, we ate pizza and tacos for dinner the rest of the time. On Carnival, I am a huge MDR fan, and we eat there for dinner nightly, except elegant nights.

 

I loved the free soda on Disney as I do not drink. There was no food 24 hours like Carnival. I guess room service but we did not partake.

 

Most times, I was bored though. There did not seem that much to do. On Carnival, there always is a lot, we love playing trivia games and there was none on Disney. Also, there was no comedians onboard either.

 

We went to the adult club one night, it was dead. Of course, on our last cruise on the Fascination, the club played 90% Lil Wayne, and 10% Rhianna, which you cannot dance to Lil Wayne.

 

At the time, we loved Castaway, I mean, it is a great spot, thought there was nothing better, then we went to HMC. That is our new place! We did have our own cabana and were essentially on the beach to ourselves, so that might have a lot to do with it. Top reason Castaway is awesome, no tender!

 

Oh, and I LOVED the first run movies Disney shows! We got to see the Proposal while onboard and it was still at the movies at home. One night we went and show the movie with the guinea pigs and Zach G. That was a def great plus!

[vacation_junkie]

So our last 3 cruises have been on Carnival (Legend, Holiday, and Fascination), and we will be sailing Carnival Dream next year, but having young children (boys of 6, 4 and 3) my wife and I decided to test the Disney waters. I found a February rate that wasn't terrible for Disney, and we will be sailing on the Disney Dream in 70 days. I am very excited to try the Aquaduck and the slides on Castaway Cay, but I was wondering for those that have done both lines -- what sorts of differences can I expect from the Disney experience? Some things that I have uncovered in my research:

 

No fees after 10 PM for babysitting in the kids club (we paid about $150 for this in Sept)

 

Soda is free in dining rooms and on the pool deck.

 

You can bring any alcohol on board in your carry-on (if the Cheers! program is still available on the Carnival Dream next Sept, it will save me a bundle)

 

Kids club available on private island

 

No comedians on Disney (that I am aware of)

 

Disney has an additional buffet in one of the dining rooms for breakfast, in addition to MDR seating and top deck buffet.

 

Outside of service and food quality differences (which are always variables), is there anything else I am missing?

 

Also, how does Castaway Cay compare to Half Moon Cay (a little slice of heaven, IMO)?

 

You will find various opinions on which line is better.

 

We have cruised both DCL & Carnival & various other lines many times.

For us, we prefer Carnival.

 

Our son is 12 now and he prefers Carnival as well.

 

Your children are younger and they will be more fasinated with Disney vs Carnival.

 

Money is not a factor when choosing which Cruiseline we sail on. We choose based on which ship suits everyone in our family the best. (So our choice of Carnival is not based on the price)

 

Disney does not have a Casino and we find have very limited adult things to do.

The rooms are smaller on Disney then Carnival.

 

Yes, bringing on your own alcohol is a plus!

 

Regardless you will have a great cruise! Go with an open mind and have a great cruise!

[3dashers]

The previous posters give you a great perspective . Castaway cay is awesome.

 

One of our friends cruised on Disney recently and didn't like the open play (might have term wrong) times in the club/lab. You might want to google or check the Disney part of CC for their recent daily programs.

 

As a heads up.. There was alot of princess stuff and sometimes boys can get funny about that. Mine was at the they are gross phase :eek:

[Houst]

The quality on Disney is much better. With kids it's fantasic. Fireworks at night. I would love to go back but price wise you can't beat Carnival.

[mizLORInj]

We did a 2 night Disney last summer just to see what Disney was all about. IMO the food was excellent, cabin was nice, similar to others--nothing special, and though I liked the separate toilet and shower areas I wouldn't book a ship just because of that.

No casino on Disney. No waterslides that adults can go on (I like waterslides).

[mommy2tati]

We've been on the Wonder, Magic & Dream. Although my DD10 is over the princesses she still wants to sail Disney. The main reasons why:

 

Staterooms were waaaay bigger. We sailed a balcony on CCL and felt like sardines (3 of us) but on DCL we had plenty of room and storage space (4 of us).

 

I surprisingly found a ton of stuff to do while my daughter was in the kids club like alcohol tastings, spa, the theater, etc.

 

There were definitely comedians on board. They usually do 2 shows. One for the family earlier in the evening & one catering to adults only with swearing, colorful humor, etc. oh and don't miss Match Your Mate. It's hilarious depending on who the contestants are.

 

One of the PP mentioned the character breakfast. You won't have one since those are only for the longer cruises. There will be fireworks though AKA Pirates In The Caribbean. That's a lot of fun.

 

There are launderettes almost on ever deck so if yo need to do laundry you can. you use your Key To The World (sail & sign) card to operate the machines.

 

The split bath comes in handy when everyone is trying to get ready for dinner.

[jcearth]

Thanks for the replies everyone!! I am sure that we will have a great time. Price is always a concern when I book vacations, so it will be very interesting if the extras and enhancements provided by Disney will be worth the premium that we are paying for this experience (40% more than the Carnival Sensation for the same dates). Either way, I can't wait to find out. :)

[ranger10!]

You will love Disney! It is worth the little bit of extra money! We went on the Magic back when Monster Inc. Came out. The ship had the first viewing of the movie. That was pretty cool. One Son was in middle school, 7th grade I think, the other son in 2nd grade. The older Son cried when we left. He had so much fun he didn't want to leave. Both boys loved the kid area. I did make them spend some time with us, since we were on a "family" vacation. The didn't like being taken out of their area! Everything is done in "Disney" fashion. Top notch! Love the different dinning rooms and that your waiter moves with you. It was pretty neat!

 

Have a great time! I know you will! Who doesn't love hearing "When you wish upon a star" being played by the ships horn! Not to mention all the characters!

[A2Mich]

You will love Disney! It is worth the little bit of extra money!

 

Little bit of extra money? With the prices I've been quoted, an oveanview cabin on Disney is well over $2000 more than a balcony cabin on Carnival! Guess we won't be sailing Disney anytime soon.....(or ever with that kind of pricing)

[moopig]

We did a 2 night Disney last summer just to see what Disney was all about. IMO the food was excellent, cabin was nice, similar to others--nothing special, and though I liked the separate toilet and shower areas I wouldn't book a ship just because of that.

No casino on Disney. No waterslides that adults can go on (I like waterslides).

 

Are you saying adults cant do the AquaDuck??? I am looking forward to riding it in the Dream:eek:

[Steamboat Holly]

Are you saying adults cant do the AquaDuck??? I am looking forward to riding it in the Dream:eek:

 

Adults can definitely ride the Aqua Duck!

[yogimax]

You will find various opinions on which line is better.

 

 

You jest! While a small percentage of cheerleaders would choose Carnival, the VAST majority would vote for Disney hands down.

 

We sailed on Disney for the first time in September with our 6 and 3 year old grandchildren.

 

The kid's club was absolutely AMAZING. We even participated in science experiments with the kids. They absolutely loved every minute of the experience and gave their parents (and us) the opportunity to do whatever we wanted.

 

If you have found a halfway decent rate on Disney, you will not be disappointed. The three year old said he still dreams about having his picture taken with "Captain Mickey!"

[mommy2tati]

Are you saying adults cant do the AquaDuck??? I am looking forward to riding it in the Dream:eek:

 

PP was on the Magic which does not have an Aquaduck. That is a feature of the Dream & Fantasy.

[luvavacation]

My family just completed our 5th Carnival cruise on the Fascination over Thanksgiving. We have been on 8 Disney cruises, with another two planned for 2013 and 2014. I have two daughters, 22 and 18. Our first DCL cruise was when they were 10 and 6. To this day, DCL is our family's absolute favorite cruise line, for many of the reasons mentioned in the above posts.

 

We do sail Carnival, though. Carnival is our "getaway quick" cruise. We sail it for the ports. Disney is our "ship is the destination" cruise. We sail it for the experience we receive on the ship, the time with our family, the time on Castaway Cay, just the whole experience that we only find on a Disney cruise.

 

On Carnival, one of our main complaints is that there is not much to do as a family that will not make my husband uncomfortable around his daughters. Hairy chest contest, with men encouraged to dance in a provocative manner, the more suggestive the better, at the family pool? SOOOOO not what my family considers family entertainment.

 

Dancers in thongs dancing suggestively, throwing their skirts in the air or bending forward to show the parts? Male dancers grinding on the female dancers (that's what my daughters call it, been banned at the school dances)? Again, not our style of entertainment. But then, we don't care for Vegas-style shows, we prefer Broadway style. DCL has the family shows we really like.

 

We don't mind attending adult shows and enjoying risqué dancing and jokes, but DH does not care for it when his daughters are around. With DCL, we know we won't be uncomfortable at the family show. Not the case at the Carnival family shows. Not all dads get uncomfortable, but my husband does.

 

I actually used to prefer the food on Carnival, it seemed more varied and seasoned. I do like the food on Disney, but it isn't seasoned or spiced to my liking, so I carry my own bottle of Chipotle Tabasco and drown my food in it. DH really likes food with not much spicing, so hands down DCL is it for him. After this last cruise, I have also found myself preferring the food on Disney. Just not impressed lately with the Carnival food. The variety wasn't there, and I don't care much for meat, and found the alternatives limited. However, I really like the Sushi on Carnival! Considering many more children sail DCL, I can understand why they don't spice up their food all that much.

 

Castaway Cay is, bar none, the best cruise line island I have ever been to. The adult beach is a true beach, no net around it, lots of ocean life to be seen, but the family beach has a net, and since I am sure there is a shark out there looking for me, I like to swim at the family beach at Castaway Cay! Pelican Plunge is so much fun, and though the family beach area is not a true "Bahamian beach" (it is Disneyfied, clean and polished!), I happen to like clean and polished!

 

If you do get to Disney's Castaway Cay, please rent a bike and explore the island. You will see how it is in its natural state, apart from the area that Disney cleaned up. We like to ride the bikes every time we are there, and climb up the lookout tower each time for a family picture.

 

There really is so much more regarding differences, but none of it will mean anything if you can't let yourself go on DCL and just lighten your outlook on life and be a kid again. A cynic will not enjoy Disney, they will just laugh at adults having pictures taken with Princess or Goofy, laugh at the crew calling women "Princess", and just not get into finding the joy on a little child's face, even if it isn't your own, at meeting their favorite character walking down the hall unexpectedly. If you are a person concerned only with what you are spending and not interested in the experience of joy and being a kid again, you will not like Disney. You will complain about every penny (and dollar) that you are spending above what you spend on Carnival. You will not enjoy the Disney Cruise Line experience, because it is truly an experience, not just a floating party.

 

On Carnival, my family will still have fun, because we are together. We won't find much to do on the ship together, because there just isn't much that is available for families to do together. My children never liked going to kids clubs, even on Disney. Other than the science experiments and Goofy's Pajama Party, they just chose to spend time with old mom and dad. Instead, we do the vegetable races, the frog races, the art classes, the drawing classes, etc. So much to do with your family, so much to do as just adults, and so much to do just for the kids. We like that variety, and on Disney, we are always out and about, doing stuff. Carnival, not so much for families together. But I am paying for the Disney corporation to provide me all these choices, and I do expect these choices. I would never pay Disney prices for a Carnival-type experience. I pay more, I do expect more, and Disney does deliver.

 

For my family, the DCL price is very "worth it", for what it delivers. The Carnival Cruise Line price is "worth it", for what it delivers. Anyone considering going on one cruise line over the other just needs to figure out if the whole light-hearted, being a kid again with (or without!) your kids is something that is "worth it". With our daughters almost out of the house completely, Disney is still "worth it".

 

And I do admit, as a grown woman, I still enjoy being called "Princess". :)