What makes DCL worth more money than other lines?

[Susiecruisey]

Anyone?

[Scrapnana]

If I had to give just one reason, I would say the customer service. Disney knows how to take care of their guests with a smile and excellent service.

[Kathie859]

In the last 11 mos, I've been on DCL, HAL and Uniworld. DCL value is in the service angle and special onboard events and services aimed at kids. Hell to me would be a Disney cruise without kids (which there were several adult couples onboard without kiddos--I don't get it:))

[moki'smommy]

Unfortunately, the high "first 2 passenger" fares support the kid programming. That said, the guest service aspect of DCL is great.

 

Since I no longer cruise with kids and have more flexibility as to when I cruise, I watch for great rates. These are generally cruises when schools are in session and I can enjoy a ship with far fewer school age kids. Not trying to be harsh, but toddlers are not running around the ship and invading adult areas (usually).

[bphman]

For me, it is the entertainment. The shows are the best at sea. Although I am 63, our family has and still does love Disney. We just sailed the Dream with just my wife and I and there are a fair number of adults without kids. Customer service is second to none and even the luxury lines could learn from them. I would also say that the specialty dining is a big plus. Palo is fantastic and a bargain. Remy, although expensive, is a culinary delight and the best of the best in every regard. If you can swing the price it is worth the trip. It is very similar to Victoria and Alberts but a touch better.

[pepsigirl64]

Hell to me would be a Disney cruise without kids (which there were several adult couples onboard without kiddos--I don't get it:))

 

:rolleyes: To each his own....for us it is the less kids the better!! Here's hoping our cruise finds all of the kids in school and only tots in daycare!!!

[Host Mick]

Everybody knows that it's all about the free soda!

[Mquan10]

Been on both the Wonder and the Fantasy. Extra costs are evident when you look around the ship. There are more staff than other ships, characters, waiters to guest ratio, kids programming staff. The shows while short are probably big budget. No disney ship has a casino, so there's a lost revenue source that's got to be made up somewhere!

 

Also I have never seen a cruise where the waiters cut up the steaks for the kids. This happened on both Disney cruises, and I saw them doing it for most of the kids with steak.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Service, staterooms, food, themes, interesting dinner experiences in three rotational restaurants. Entertainment, careing and pixie dust, more included, less up selling, better and generally free room service, fireworks, castaway cay.... And....... Of course...... Lots of free soda!

[CC Help Jenn]

It depends -I have seen prices on some RCI ships (Oasis and Allure) rival Disney prices for similar itineraries - not all of the time but at the times I was looking to book.

 

Now, I have no other line to compare Disney to (yet) BUT I am happy with the return I get on the price I pay. That is all that matters, right ?

 

:)

[kayaker35]

I would say it's the programs for kids and the stage shows.

 

My husband and I just came home from two Alaska cruises. The first was a 7-night on the Sapphire Princess from Whittier AK to Vancouver BC. Two days later we boarded the Disney Wonder for a 7-night round trip from Vancouver. We had booked the Disney one months ago, after a wonderful Bahamas cruise last November with our children and grandchildren. We added the Princess one a couple of months ago because we wanted to see more of the Alaska coast. The Princess cruise sailed Prince William Sound and Glacier Bay National Park, which we wouldn't have seen on the Disney cruise.

 

We were pleasantly surprised that the ship, service, and food on the Sapphire Princess were every bit as good as on Disney. The ship was more elegantly decorated, and the Piazza with the International Cafe, Alfredo's Pizza, and Vines Wine Bar, was outstanding. Our room host and dining room servers were just as attentive as on the Wonder. I found the food quality to be comparable on both ships, but the variety was better on Princess, and the layout of the buffet was much better on Princess.

 

I have had occasion to call Princess, as we're planning another cruise in March of 2014 to the Caribbean. Their Customer Service reps have been extremely responsive and helpful.

 

The stage shows were not as professional on Princess as on Disney, but they were entertaining all the same. While there were areas for children and programs for them, there were no Pixie Dust or character meets on Princess.

 

If I am traveling with my children and grandchildren I will choose Disney. If it's just my husband and me, Princess wins, hands down. They both have their advantages. One isn't necessarily better than the other.... just different.

Edited September 4, 2013 by kayaker35
added information.

[darwinsrule]

Also I have never seen a cruise where the waiters cut up the steaks for the kids. This happened on both Disney cruises, and I saw them doing it for most of the kids with steak.

 

Forget the cutting up of the steak. Angel who was our server on the Dream (b2b) a couple of years ago actually fed our youngest dinner a couple of times.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

[kayaker35]

Forget the cutting up of the steak. Angel who was our server on the Dream (b2b) a couple of years ago actually fed our youngest dinner a couple of times.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

 

ANGEL!!!! She was one of our servers when we took a Bahamas cruise on the Dream last November. She lived up to her name! Here's a picture of our crew with our servers from that cruise:

 

 

She playfully fed my grandson when he didn't clean his plate. She would make a heart sign with her arms above her head. What a sweetheart! We all loved her!! If we sail on the dream again I will make sure to ask for her if she's still on the ship!

 

Karen

[Gardeneroflove]

Everybody knows that it's all about the free soda!

 

Nope, they don't have dr. pepper. :( BUT they do have warm cookies and mickey bars!

 

Honestly, we'd still do Disney without kids, but that's 18+ years from now.

 

I actually found services/Activities for under 3 very lacking. They only have toddler time on sea days, no open play room, or library, just open house hours in club (which has a tv, as well as the nursery, ***?). I actually don't like the stage shows, or that they are the same. I don't like the rotating dinners, I REALLY don't like the tv's in the dining room. Thankfully, my kid is clueless so it wasn't an issue.) The desserts weren't as good either. wow. there's a lot I don't like. lol Yet we still booked for December!

 

So for us, it's the quality of service and food. We LOVED no/less upselling/pushing of sales. They were GREAT about keeping kids out of the adult area. I wasn't paying attention or thinking, i was going to get a coffee and carrying dd. I was nicely told she wasn't allowed in that area.

[Loonbeam]

One other point to consider is that Disney only has 4 ships. Supply and demand is a factor, especially when you consider in the sometimes, um, overzealous' Disney fan base.

 

In short, they also charge more because people are willing to pay more.

[Host Mick]

ANGEL!!!! She was one of our servers when we took a Bahamas cruise on the Dream last November. She lived up to her name! Here's a picture of our crew with our servers from that cruise:

 

 

She playfully fed my grandson when he didn't clean his plate. She would make a heart sign with her arms above her head. What a sweetheart! We all loved her!! If we sail on the dream again I will make sure to ask for her if she's still on the ship!

 

Karen

 

Adam Carolla was on your cruise? It looks like he made Admiral.

[kayaker35]

Adam Carolla was on your cruise? It looks like he made Admiral.

 

LOL... I KNEW he looked familiar :D. That was the Royal Palace dining room.... the servers dressed the part.

[wdwlvr]

We don't have children, but I can saw from what I've seen DCL really takes care of the kids and makes them happy which helps the whole family have a great time.

 

I love the ambiance of the ships. The classic lines, the rich colors and textures. I also love the service. Now, after 16 sailings on Disney, it is more a feeling of comfort and knowing what to expect.

 

I've sailed other lines before and most likely will sail other lines in the future, but for now DCL is a good fit for us.

 

Worth can only be determined by the person who is spending the money. What might be worth it to me might not be to someone else and vice versa.

[Lionesss]

When we cruised Disney, we were very pleased with the shows, the movies played, the dining venues, all non alcoholic drinks built into the price.

But the customer service is top notch!!

We did get what we paid for, and enjoyed it.

It is Pricey, but we wanted to try it and have no regrets.

Sea Ya

[kicker]

Everybody knows that it's all about the free soda!

 

Don't forget the crab legs and shrimp on the buffet!

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

In the last 11 mos, I've been on DCL, HAL and Uniworld. DCL value is in the service angle and special onboard events and services aimed at kids. Hell to me would be a Disney cruise without kids (which there were several adult couples onboard without kiddos--I don't get it:))

 

I like my hell just fine then. We didn't have any kids in our family (none of us have kids unless you count my senior parents?) and we had one of the best cruises we have ever had. (Only Hawaii tops it...for HAWAII! But not the cruise itself.)

 

Even if we don't have kids, we still like not having to walk through a smokey casino, or squirm uncomfortably when thonged-bearing dancers come across the stage and writhe around on a mechanical bull (that was a CCL thankyouverymuch... bleh...) and so for us, the family entertainment and feel which is as good and fun as the parks are, are absolutely worth all of it.

 

And there are plenty of kids on all the other cruise lines. Plenty plenty.

 

You do not need to have kids to go Disney cruising. In fact, it's quite fun to point them out in their ruffly sparkling princess outfits (is it sad that I wish they came in my size...) and then run along to the adults only areas.

 

It's a blast. No kiddies needed either.

 

Harumph.

[kayaker35]

 

You do not need to have kids to go Disney cruising. In fact, it's quite fun to point them out in their ruffly sparkling princess outfits (is it sad that I wish they came in my size...) and then run along to the adults only areas.

 

It's a blast. No kiddies needed either.

 

Harumph.

 

I totally agree! We loved seeing the little ones dressed up.... and we enjoyed seeing them greeting the characters. Disney is for the young and the young at heart... no children required. While going with grandchildren did add to the fun. they weren't required :)

[bzkdz]

 

 

We were pleasantly surprised that the ship, service, and food on the Sapphire Princess were every bit as good as on Disney. The ship was more elegantly decorated, and the Piazza with the International Cafe, Alfredo's Pizza, and Vines Wine Bar, was outstanding. Our room host and dining room servers were just as attentive as on the Wonder. I found the food quality to be comparable on both ships, but the variety was better on Princess, and the layout of the buffet was much better on Princess.

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing this! We have only sailed on Disney and decided to try the Sapphire. There just isn't as much to choose from on the West Coast (saving us $$$$ airfare!), especially shorter cruises!

 

edited to add: We LOVE DCL, our kids are mostly teens/young adults. We would sail DCL even without them haha.

Beth

Edited September 6, 2013 by bzkdz

[Tonka's Skipper]

In the last 11 mos, I've been on DCL, HAL and Uniworld. DCL value is in the service angle and special onboard events and services aimed at kids. Hell to me would be a Disney cruise without kids (which there were several adult couples onboard without kiddos--I don't get it:))

 

There is many reasons to chose DCL without kids, but your entitled to you opinion.

 

The classic liner style of the DCL put the *LAS VEGAS* neon floating buses of other lines to shame.

 

The *Disney Magic* and *pixie dust* makes it all so special and fun. Believe me when I say its not just for the kids. The adult only areas, entertainment, clubs are plenty for us, especially on the Dream class vessels.

 

The service is tops and there is something just special about DCL CM's.

 

We'll take DCL anytime we can, over other allegedly *adult lines *.:)

 

AKK

Edited September 6, 2013 by Tonka's Skipper

[Tonka's Skipper]

Everybody knows that it's all about the free soda!

 

 

HO yes, I forgot............don't forget the free soda! :rolleyes:

 

AKK