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Just got Back from Carnival... Is Disney worth it?


firstcruiseever
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The spilt bath and a half concept that DCL introduced way back in '98 seems to be a hit for those with kids.

 

I wonder why other cruise lines haven't adopted the same or similar layout on other ships for family friendly staterooms? Presumably DCL cannot have patented it?!!

 

I know NCL screwed up with a weird sink in the bedroom/stateroom and exposed bathroom thing, but if parents with kids really love it, why hasn't any other cruise line adopted the same facility?

 

ex techie

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I know NCL screwed up with a weird sink in the bedroom/stateroom and exposed bathroom thing, but if parents with kids really love it, why hasn't any other cruise line adopted the same facility?

 

Takes up a lot more space, I would estimate the split bath is about 1.5 - 1.75 the size of a regular cruise ship bathroom.

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And the Oasis class or new NCL or Carnival ships cannot accommodate that space within their staterooms?

 

On the Disney Magic, the oldest and smallest ship, staterooms start at 184 square feet. On the Oasis, staterooms start at 150 square feet! Even the standard inside stateroom on an Oasis class ship is only 172 square feet.

 

Interestingly, the newer Disney Dream/Fantasy have a tad smaller staterooms, but still larger than the starting size on Oasis.

Edited by mshe
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We had a blast on our carnival cruise, because we were on vacation and we had our kids with us. But my main complaints: The room was dirty. The food was bland and mushy. (comparable to Golden Corral, only I think their potatoes are better at the Golden Corral) And the entertainment was not only scarce, but cheap and uneventful. There were only 2 shows on a 5 day cruise. They had the same actors, so were basically a variation on each other. The rest of the entertainment "how to make towel animals" and "the love and marriage game".

 

MY QUESTION:

 

Is Disney worth it? It is twice the amount of Carnival of an equivalent itinerary (and then some on some trips). We LOVE cruising, but Carnival is just not for us... Will Disney make a big difference?

 

 

Thanks

 

No. If you have to ask...

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Quote:

Originally Posted by firstcruiseever View Post

We had a blast on our carnival cruise, because we were on vacation and we had our kids with us. But my main complaints: The room was dirty. The food was bland and mushy. (comparable to Golden Corral, only I think their potatoes are better at the Golden Corral) And the entertainment was not only scarce, but cheap and uneventful. There were only 2 shows on a 5 day cruise. They had the same actors, so were basically a variation on each other. The rest of the entertainment "how to make towel animals" and "the love and marriage game".

 

MY QUESTION:

 

Is Disney worth it? It is twice the amount of Carnival of an equivalent itinerary (and then some on some trips). We LOVE cruising, but Carnival is just not for us... Will Disney make a big difference?

 

 

 

It basically the difference between shopping (carnival) Wal-Mart and K mart and (DCL) Lord and Taylor and Macys.

 

Disney has a class a cruise, typical of celebrity and Princess, Cunard, etc. and then adds all the magic and Pixie dust of Disney that brings it over the top. Things not only for kids but the whole family and Adults alone... Only Disney can do a high level of cruise they do and Disney specialty.

 

Yes Carnival is cheaper, but I will not let my family and friends sail Carnival due to the safety issues. (Yes...just what I said and none of them have sailed Carnival since I explained the safety issues). The only Carnival vessels I would consider at this point is the Triumph and the Splendor, both have been renewed and the safety features that should have been there in the beginning have been installed.

 

All lines are going to charge what the market will bear and the Market has said time and time again they are willing to pay the prices. However the costs are rarely 2 times the RCL, NCL or Princess and Celebrity vessels level, take the time to do the research, you will find comparable vessels and cabins art much closer fares.

 

AKK

Edited by Tonka's Skipper
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We had a blast on our carnival cruise, because we were on vacation and we had our kids with us. But my main complaints: The room was dirty. The food was bland and mushy. (comparable to Golden Corral, only I think their potatoes are better at the Golden Corral) And the entertainment was not only scarce, but cheap and uneventful. There were only 2 shows on a 5 day cruise. They had the same actors, so were basically a variation on each other. The rest of the entertainment "how to make towel animals" and "the love and marriage game".

 

MY QUESTION:

 

Is Disney worth it? It is twice the amount of Carnival of an equivalent itinerary (and then some on some trips). We LOVE cruising, but Carnival is just not for us... Will Disney make a big difference?

 

Thanks

 

 

Truthfully......you probably will have a better time (especially with kids) on Disney. Food is pretty subjective.....I don't like all the "fancy" food they serve in the dining rooms on Disney, I prefer chicken or beef, or what Carnival calls their "comfort foods". I like that they give a choice, the featured meal on one side of the menu and the comfort foods on the other. But...again, that's subjective.

As for everything else, yes, honestly, Disney is "better". BUT......(to me, anyway) is it THAT MUCH better? Enough to pay double or sometimes triple??

 

I guess it depends on why you cruise. If you cruise for the entertainment and the "nice" room....then maybe. But if you cruise to have a place to stay, a room to go back to after seeing different ports, then no, it really isn't worth more.

Until the last couple of years, Disney kept going to the same ports, over and over and over. There was no way it was worth it, money-wise, to keep doing that. Even the best food and entertainment lose their flavor after a while.

I'm glad that they're now branching out to more ports, but cruising Disney to those new ports is going to cost a LOT more than it would on other lines.

 

You might want to look at Royal Caribbean or Norwegian. They might suit you just as well as Disney, but their cost will be lower also.

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Truthfully......you probably will have a better time (especially with kids) on Disney. Food is pretty subjective.....I don't like all the "fancy" food they serve in the dining rooms on Disney, I prefer chicken or beef, or what Carnival calls their "comfort foods". I like that they give a choice, the featured meal on one side of the menu and the comfort foods on the other. But...again, that's subjective.

As for everything else, yes, honestly, Disney is "better". BUT......(to me, anyway) is it THAT MUCH better? Enough to pay double or sometimes triple??

 

I guess it depends on why you cruise. If you cruise for the entertainment and the "nice" room....then maybe. But if you cruise to have a place to stay, a room to go back to after seeing different ports, then no, it really isn't worth more.

Until the last couple of years, Disney kept going to the same ports, over and over and over. There was no way it was worth it, money-wise, to keep doing that. Even the best food and entertainment lose their flavor after a while.

I'm glad that they're now branching out to more ports, but cruising Disney to those new ports is going to cost a LOT more than it would on other lines.

 

You might want to look at Royal Caribbean or Norwegian. They might suit you just as well as Disney, but their cost will be lower also.

 

We didn't find the MDR food in DCL to be at all "fancy." It's just normal food. That said, I'd be appalled to have my dinner choices be meatloaf, chicken tenders, mc n cheese or beef stew like on some lines. I don't eat that #%^* at home, I'm not going to eat it in a cruise!

 

Food is a big part of cruising to me--quality over quantity is key.

 

That said, ports are also important, and I agree that DCL needs to continue to evolve in that department in order to attract repeaters.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

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We didn't find the MDR food in DCL to be at all "fancy." It's just normal food. That said, I'd be appalled to have my dinner choices be meatloaf, chicken tenders, mc n cheese or beef stew like on some lines. I don't eat that #%^* at home, I'm not going to eat it in a cruise!

 

Food is a big part of cruising to me--quality over quantity is key.

 

That said, ports are also important, and I agree that DCL needs to continue to evolve in that department in order to attract repeaters.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

 

 

Which is why I said the food is subjective....everyone will like something different, and I happen to like that on every menu in the main dining rooms on Carnival, there is a CHOICE. Friends I travel with like all the fancy sauces and such, too, I just don't. To each his own. But at least Disney offers steak or chicken...or at least they used to. I think they may have taken one away and added a fish?

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To each his own. But at least Disney offers steak or chicken...or at least they used to. I think they may have taken one away and added a fish?

 

Disney still offers steak, daily if you wish, but their sirloin is one of toughest, blandest, and most inedible steaks I've ever had.

 

The tenderloin was fine, although tasteless.

Edited by mshe
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On the Disney Magic, the oldest and smallest ship, staterooms start at 184 square feet. On the Oasis, staterooms start at 150 square feet! Even the standard inside stateroom on an Oasis class ship is only 172 square feet.

 

Interestingly, the newer Disney Dream/Fantasy have a tad smaller staterooms, but still larger than the starting size on Oasis.

 

The average stateroom on oasis is larger than on Fantasy or Dream though. That half bath accounts for a lot of square footage. Square footage that other lines use to make their rooms feel more spacious. The largest staterooms on Rccl are much bigger than those on any Disney ship. Rccl and other lines offer a wider variety of stateroom choices.

 

With regards to the food, I had some of the best and the worst food on Dcl. My dd got food poisoning on Dcl 9 days into an 11 night cruise.

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The average stateroom on oasis is larger than on Fantasy or Dream though. That half bath accounts for a lot of square footage. Square footage that other lines use to make their rooms feel more spacious. The largest staterooms on Rccl are much bigger than those on any Disney ship. Rccl and other lines offer a wider variety of stateroom choices.

 

With regards to the food, I had some of the best and the worst food on Dcl. My dd got food poisoning on Dcl 9 days into an 11 night cruise.

 

Was it confirmed by lab tests as food poisoning?

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

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Was it confirmed by lab tests as food poisoning?

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

 

 

I've had food poisoning, and didn't need it confirmed by anyone.

Most people can tell the difference between that and a stomach bug.

 

Sorry if I mistook your question as being skeptical of the other poster, when it may not have been intended that way.

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As you can see by my signature I have sailed both Carnival and Disney. Honestly, Carnival gave me the best value for the money BUT vacation is not always about value.

 

The buffet food on Disney was fantastic but we thought the dining room food was OK. In fact my DH did not like the dining room food at all. The entertainment on Disney was top notch. Probably 20-30 people in the cast for the live show as opposed to Carnival's 8. On Disney we watched first run movies, we saw Iron Man 3 in 3D shortly after it was released. Our cabin was much larger but once again we paid a lot more for it as well.

 

I had no issues with cleanliness with anything on the Ecstasy. They seemed to always be cleaning and painting.

 

I really feel you are comparing apples and oranges.

 

Bottom line is the price points are totally different on the two cruise lines and only you can determine if you can afford Disney. I love Disney and if you are not a big fan of Disney it might be a bit much for you.

 

In my opinion Carnival is more of a party ship. I really have never seen that much alcohol consumption in all my life. Despite all of the drinking I only saw a few drunks that were not behaving properly. I had a lot of fun on Carnival but I was also cruising solo. If I had small children I would probably steer clear of Carnival.

 

For me personally, any day at sea no matter what cruiseline beats any day at work!:D

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I've heard a lot of rumblings lately that the Magic (DCL) was looking worn out. The ship just returned from drydock, and there were more complaints after than there had been before. So I don't think Disney is immune to having wear and tear, or even cleanliness issues.

 

Those complaints were shipyard, not age related. Some of the work and cleaning from the shipyard wasn't finished.

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I loved Disney Cruises. Went on the Wonder twice and The Dream once. Thoroughly enjoyed all experiences. Food was great, programs and staff were awesome. I have a daughter and she loved all of it. Shows are well done. It is pricey but I am not disappointed at all. Have been on RC Oasis of the Seas both east and western Caribbean too. Both great cruising experiences.

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Those complaints were shipyard, not age related. Some of the work and cleaning from the shipyard wasn't finished.

 

 

Before the ship took on passengers, it then became the responsibility of the crew to make sure everything was clean and ready.

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Before the ship took on passengers, it then became the responsibility of the crew to make sure everything was clean and ready.

 

Hi Daisy,

 

Sorry but your at least partially wrong.

 

Because the Vessel still had work crews onboard, for 2 or 3 cruises after retuning to Florida some of which were shipyard employees, it was their responsibility to clean up as well as the Crew.

 

I am the biggest DCL fan, but it does seem the Magic was rushed out of the yard and back into service without proper cleaning and repairs. The only alternative was the canceled the cruises. The plumber issues where the result of *Stuff* being flushed down the piping during the westbound trip..............I can't help but wonder just who or why that happened.

 

I ask you, what was the lesser evil? Working on her with passengers or cancelling cruises? I don't know !

 

Sadly this seems to be a standard now in the industry, rushing the vessels into service.

 

AKK

Edited by Tonka's Skipper
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They DID cancel the first cruise out.....and with as much work as they usually manage to get done during drydock, I personally would expect better of them.

 

I've stayed in hotels, and been on ships, while work was in progress. Sometimes it's annoying...but necessary. I just don't see any excuse for some of the mess that people were posting pictures of.....

 

I think in this one instance, DCL was too concerned with making changes to the ship in order to try to bring it up to the "entertainment" standards of the Dream and Fantasy, and basically forgot about the rest of it.

 

To me, this isn't a DCL vs "any other cruise line" issue......I'm not (for once!;)) comparing the Magic to any other line. Just expressing disappointment in a job done at less than the usual Disney standard.

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I think that in a situation like that, people need to be given a choice of canceling with a full refund, cruising with a shipboard credit for inconvenience, or taking an alternate vacation at Disney World. It is not right to charge people full fare to vacation in a construction zone and with some of the cabin problems reported. When a hotel is doing construction they let people k ow when booking and generally reduce rates to compensate for inconveniences.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

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I think that in a situation like that, people need to be given a choice of canceling with a full refund, cruising with a shipboard credit for inconvenience, or taking an alternate vacation at Disney World. It is not right to charge people full fare to vacation in a construction zone and with some of the cabin problems reported. When a hotel is doing construction they let people k ow when booking and generally reduce rates to compensate for inconveniences.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

 

Totally agree with that statement.

DCL unfortunately offered non of the above.

CM's thought the rehab was unrealistic before she went into drydock.

DCL knew the ship had plumbing problems during the cancelled cruise.

 

As above, It is not right to charge people full fare to vacation in a construction zone and with some of the cabin problems reported and the ongoing problems in the weeks afterwards.

 

DCL should have stepped up and bitten the bullet when they knew the ship wouldn't be ready weeks beforehand and offered full refunds, compensation for out of pocket pre booked expenses, and comp't free cruises for those that were booked as a good will gesture for the failings on their part. Yes the shipyard may not have performed as DCL expected, maybe the shipyard tried to fight DCL for all the last minute changes they made and said we cannot accommodate these changes at this late stage, maybe the shipyard did screw up?

 

Most probably no-one except a few on a senior board will know what was agreed, was was expected, what was actually delivered within the timeframe, what was or was done that was supposed to be.

 

But the bottom line is that it's DCL's ship, DCL sells a cruise to a Guest/s and what they sold was not what was offered on the original dates or weeks afterwards.

DCL had the choice of shipyard, not the Guest, so DCL should bear the brunt of having to properly compensate the Guests when they failed to deliver the product they advertised and sold. Whether the shipyard did or didn't do XYZ is by the by.

DCL's product, DCL's problem, DCL should resolve it properly and DCL should take responsibility.

 

ex techie

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Before the ship took on passengers, it then became the responsibility of the crew to make sure everything was clean and ready.

 

The member commented that the number of complaints increased even after a major shipyard overhaul apparently blaming them on the age of the ship.

 

"I've heard a lot of rumblings lately that the Magic (DCL) was looking worn out. The ship just returned from drydock, and there were more complaints after than there had been before. So I don't think Disney is immune to having wear and tear, or even cleanliness issues."

Edited by Host Mick
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The member commented that the number of complaints increased even after a major shipyard overhaul apparently blaming them on the age of the ship.

 

"I've heard a lot of rumblings lately that the Magic (DCL) was looking worn out. The ship just returned from drydock, and there were more complaints after than there had been before. So I don't think Disney is immune to having wear and tear, or even cleanliness issues."

 

 

I'm not trying to be obtuse, but I'm missing the point here...really....:confused:

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They DID cancel the first cruise out.....and with as much work as they usually manage to get done during drydock, I personally would expect better of them.

 

I've stayed in hotels, and been on ships, while work was in progress. Sometimes it's annoying...but necessary. I just don't see any excuse for some of the mess that people were posting pictures of.....

 

I think in this one instance, DCL was too concerned with making changes to the ship in order to try to bring it up to the "entertainment" standards of the Dream and Fantasy, and basically forgot about the rest of it.

 

To me, this isn't a DCL vs "any other cruise line" issue......I'm not (for once!;)) comparing the Magic to any other line. Just expressing disappointment in a job done at less than the usual Disney standard.

Hi Daisy,

 

I think we are basically saying the same thing, just in different words.

 

AKK

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