Disney Magic vs Carnival Sunshine

[jrm116]

Thinking about a cruise for April 2015 to the Caribbean. Down to either (if it works out) carnival sunshine or disney magic. Carnival goes to E. Carib., Disney to W. Carib.

 

I have been on disney once, but it's oh so expensive. Carnival looks good but have heard some negative things about it too. What can I expect from these cruises? I have not been on one since 2006!

 

Oh, they both leave Port Carnaveral (sp?) and are 7 nighters

[moki'smommy]

Carnival has been working hard to eliminate it's drunken party image, and has been somewhat successful on the longer cruises. The short ones.....well, I wouldn't do one.

 

Also, DCL is a lot more "all inclusive" than Carnival, but that really means you have a choice in how much you spend. DCL allows you to bring alcohol or other beverages on board in unlimited amounts, Carnival does not. DCL has a 24/7 beverage station with sodas, milk tea, etc. Carnival charges for soft drinks. DCL has an upcharge only for adult dining, and gambling is limited to bingo. Carnival has a casino. DCL has kid programming at no additional charge, Carnival has (or had) a charge for late nights with much more restricted hours included in the cruise fare.

 

Bottom line--you can choose whether or not to purchase beverages, gamble, purchase soft drinks, etc. on Carnival. And the base fare difference buys a ton of these "extras." But the savings is not a big as what you might see as the base fare.

 

One very interesting point--we looked at another line with exactly the same ports as a DCL cruise. The other line had "taxes and government fees" of $200 per person MORE than DCL had. Again, that erased a lot of the savings. Be sure you are looking at the total price of the cruise.

[MizDaisy]

I've cruised with Disney 12 times, Carnival 4 times (and NCL and Princess)....the longer (one week) cruises on Carnival are really, really nice.

 

The Sunshine has just been totally redone, it has Guy's Burger Joint, the Redfrog Pub, Blue Iguana....all awesome places to get food, snack or drinks....

The "Serenity" area for adults is pretty nice, too...and the Waterworks and pools are great. I would have NO second thoughts about hopping on this ship.

 

Disney does have ONE soda fountain with milk, tea, coffee.....on the pool deck...so to me, it's really not all that convenient. Carnival allows you to bring your own soda onboard (I have to take my Pepsi!!) and a bottle or two of wine. But the alcohol carry-on thing with Disney doesn't make good sense money-wise to us, by the time you pay a couple thousand more for the Disney cruise, you could have bought an awful lot of drinks (even soda) on another cruise line!

 

Disney and Carnival both have "upsell" restaurants, like Palo on DCL and the Steakhouse on Carnival, but the upsell prices are cheaper on Carnival, food is EXCELLENT, and there are way more choices of places to eat on the newer Carnival ships. Carnival has more offerings in its buffet area and pool deck area, like made-to-order hot or cold deli sandwiches and salads, Indian food, omelette bars.....

 

I think you'd have a great cruise on either ship....truly.....but the prices for Disney have gone up so high, it just doesn't make sense any more unless they have a special running...or you grab first day prices.

[jrm116]

I've cruised with Disney 12 times, Carnival 4 times (and NCL and Princess)....the longer (one week) cruises on Carnival are really, really nice.

 

The Sunshine has just been totally redone, it has Guy's Burger Joint, the Redfrog Pub, Blue Iguana....all awesome places to get food, snack or drinks....

The "Serenity" area for adults is pretty nice, too...and the Waterworks and pools are great. I would have NO second thoughts about hopping on this ship.

 

Disney does have ONE soda fountain with milk, tea, coffee.....on the pool deck...so to me, it's really not all that convenient. Carnival allows you to bring your own soda onboard (I have to take my Pepsi!!) and a bottle or two of wine. But the alcohol carry-on thing with Disney doesn't make good sense money-wise to us, by the time you pay a couple thousand more for the Disney cruise, you could have bought an awful lot of drinks (even soda) on another cruise line!

 

Disney and Carnival both have "upsell" restaurants, like Palo on DCL and the Steakhouse on Carnival, but the upsell prices are cheaper on Carnival, food is EXCELLENT, and there are way more choices of places to eat on the newer Carnival ships. Carnival has more offerings in its buffet area and pool deck area, like made-to-order hot or cold deli sandwiches and salads, Indian food, omelette bars.....

 

I think you'd have a great cruise on either ship....truly.....but the prices for Disney have gone up so high, it just doesn't make sense any more unless they have a special running...or you grab first day prices.

 

No I'm not using any kind of discount. I love Disney but I don't know if I can afford it; I pretended to go through the process of booking; it was over $7,000 WITHOUT excursions!!! I'd love to go on Disney but my wallet doesn't agree :(

 

I thought about doing a 5 nt Carnival Fantasy cruise from Charleston since its so close but ive heard some stories about Carnival cruises that are less than 7 nights long.

 

EDIT: Now maybe a Carnival cruise from Miami? Looking at different options. grrr im so indecisive

Edited June 5, 2014 by jrm116

[LittleMissMagic]

No I'm not using any kind of discount. I love Disney but I don't know if I can afford it; I pretended to go through the process of booking; it was over $7,000 WITHOUT excursions!!! I'd love to go on Disney but my wallet doesn't agree :(

 

I thought about doing a 5 nt Carnival Fantasy cruise from Charleston since its so close but ive heard some stories about Carnival cruises that are less than 7 nights long.

 

EDIT: Now maybe a Carnival cruise from Miami? Looking at different options. grrr im so indecisive

 

Disney is pricey! You might want to look at other cruise lines for alternatives. In addition to Carnival, I'd suggest checking out Royal Caribbean (Freedom of the Seas sails from Port Canaveral, Oasis and Allure from Ft. Lauderdale), and Norwegian (new Getaway sails from Miami year-round).

 

I wouldn't recommend the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston. I'm a South Carolina resident, and though I've never done this sailing, if someone from my small, rural town has taken a cruise, it was probably this one! Judging from photographs my friends have taken, not to mention reviews I have read on Cruise Critic, this is a party cruise! :D

 

If you're looking at Carnival out of Miami, you might want to check out my 8-Day Southern Caribbean review on my blog or Cruise Critic, or Gambee's 6-day Southern Caribbean review on Cruise Critic. For a briefer analysis, I also rated the cruise on my blog.

[MizDaisy]

No I'm not using any kind of discount. I love Disney but I don't know if I can afford it; I pretended to go through the process of booking; it was over $7,000 WITHOUT excursions!!! I'd love to go on Disney but my wallet doesn't agree :(

 

I thought about doing a 5 nt Carnival Fantasy cruise from Charleston since its so close but ive heard some stories about Carnival cruises that are less than 7 nights long.

 

EDIT: Now maybe a Carnival cruise from Miami? Looking at different options. grrr im so indecisive

 

$7000 is an obnoxiously ridiculous price to pay for any vacation!!

We did an all-inclusive resort stay in a beautiful spot south of Playa del Carmen for $3000 for two of us for a week. That was food, drinks, HUGE suite with two balconies.....

 

One thing to factor in, as far as going out of Port Canaveral or Miami, is the hotels and transportation to and from the port terminal. I think it's a little cheaper and easier in Port Canaveral. Although we're booked on the Getaway for next year, and got a package with NCL that includes hotel and transport, so it was a really good deal.

 

One nice thing about Carnival is that if the price goes down, and it often does, you'll get the difference back.

[Guinness4me]

Thinking about a cruise for April 2015 to the Caribbean. Down to either (if it works out) carnival sunshine or disney magic. Carnival goes to E. Carib., Disney to W. Carib.

 

I have been on disney once, but it's oh so expensive. Carnival looks good but have heard some negative things about it too. What can I expect from these cruises? I have not been on one since 2006!

 

Oh, they both leave Port Carnaveral (sp?) and are 7 nighters

 

Sounds like you are trying to go during spring break? Disney jacks their prices up during spring break, if you can do other dates you would find a little bit of a nicer price with DCL

[jrm116]

Sounds like you are trying to go during spring break? Disney jacks their prices up during spring break, if you can do other dates you would find a little bit of a nicer price with DCL

 

Yeah it's spring break. I like disney but not going to pay 7000. I'm willing to use other cruise lines. If they were the same price (or similar) I would book DCL.

[jrm116]

Disney is pricey! You might want to look at other cruise lines for alternatives. In addition to Carnival, I'd suggest checking out Royal Caribbean (Freedom of the Seas sails from Port Canaveral, Oasis and Allure from Ft. Lauderdale), and Norwegian (new Getaway sails from Miami year-round).

 

I wouldn't recommend the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston. I'm a South Carolina resident, and though I've never done this sailing, if someone from my small, rural town has taken a cruise, it was probably this one! Judging from photographs my friends have taken, not to mention reviews I have read on Cruise Critic, this is a party cruise! :D

 

If you're looking at Carnival out of Miami, you might want to check out my 8-Day Southern Caribbean review on my blog or Cruise Critic, or Gambee's 6-day Southern Caribbean review on Cruise Critic. For a briefer analysis, I also rated the cruise on my blog.

 

I read the Disney review earlier; looks great! Only one thing.... The Clemson thing has got to go!! Go Gamecocks!!!

[hoosier1971]

If you are sensitive to smoke, I would not recommend Carnival Sunshine. The walkway on deck 5 goes thru the casino which is very smoky. So even if you do not gamble you would have to walk thru the casino to get to other venues.

[blondietink]

I am a seasoned Carnival cruiser and I would highly recommend the Carnival Breeze out of Miami. They have an 8 day Southern Caribbean cruise that we took in January and it was awesome (Dominican Republic, Grand Turk, Curacao, Aruba). Large ship but plenty of places for peace and quiet. Guy's burgers, Your Time Dining choice if you want it, Red Frog Pub, and from what I understand, a very good children's program. Food was very good. Can carry on your own soda if you want (12 per person). We have found that the ocean view cabins on Carnival are large enough for our family of 4 adults with plenty of storage (220-230 sq. ft.).

 

I would never pay $7000 for a cruise for 7 nights. That's ridiculous unless you have money to spare.

[MizDaisy]

The videos of the "new" Carnival Sunshine on Carnival's website are really a must-see. SO much more to do than on Disney.

[jrm116]

There's a 6 night on the Breeze and a 7 night on the Sunshine... Both look fantastic!! Only drawback to the Breeze is that we would probably fly to Miami. Drive to PC is doable. Not so much with Miami, but that gives us an excuse to stay in Miami for a day or two! :D

[jrm116]

If you are sensitive to smoke, I would not recommend Carnival Sunshine. The walkway on deck 5 goes thru the casino which is very smoky. So even if you do not gamble you would have to walk thru the casino to get to other venues.

 

I don't like smoke but I can tolerate it.. We don't gamble either.

[ilovetexas]

I did my first ever solo cruise on CCL Sunshine in February and really enjoyed it! Ship is great. I LOVED the Serenity Deck. I stayed in a spa cabin so I had access to the spa all week (steam rooms, heated loungers, etc.). Ji Ji was great as were the other non-MDR dining venues I tried. Like the Breeze, the decor is the "new" Carnival; more toned down, less neon.

 

I think the Sunshine is the only ship so far that has all of the 2.0 upgrades. It really was great. Sure, there were some tweaks I would recommend (I didn't like having to walk through the casino unless I was gambling, the new theater set up and the new comedy club set up were weird, etc.) but it was a fabulous cruise and I had a blast!

 

I haven't been on DCL Magic but have been on Wonder and Fantasy and STILL wouldn't pay that much more for any of them.

 

You will not get the same experience from CCL Fantasy as you will from Sunshine. Fantasy is an older (Fantasy class) ship. While I don't mind them at all, they do not have some of the bells and whistles as the newer ships and the decor is a bit harder on the eyes! :D

[brookeq]

I have been researching Disney cruises lately. I really want to take kids on one but can't find what we want in our price range.

 

That said...don't let others scare you about carnival. We just went on the dream for 7 days in January. It was a great vacation. The kids (3 and 5) had a blast and loved the kids club. They still talk about the vacation and want to go again. ANd you couldn't beat the price.

 

I would cruise carnival again but want to try Disney at least once to see if the price difference is worth it.

[blondietink]

There's a 6 night on the Breeze and a 7 night on the Sunshine... Both look fantastic!! Only drawback to the Breeze is that we would probably fly to Miami. Drive to PC is doable. Not so much with Miami, but that gives us an excuse to stay in Miami for a day or two! :D

 

Heck, we drive 24 hours to get to Miami. Usually stay in Plantation, then drive to South Beach the morning of the cruise and have breakfast at one of the restaurants on Ocean Drive. Then a short drive over to the port with your ship in view. Fabulous!

[Guinness4me]

I have been researching Disney cruises lately. I really want to take kids on one but can't find what we want in our price range.

 

 

I would cruise carnival again but want to try Disney at least once to see if the price difference is worth it.

 

Don't book a Disney cruise to see if the price is difference is worth it. Disney commands a higher price because of the demand. I do feel they have a very good product, I have no other line to compare it to but what others have said, you can get the same type of service and food, etc. on comparable ships for less money.

 

With Disney, you will get an experince that no other ship can deliver, a Disney experince with the characters and everything Disney. So do not go on a Disney cruise with the notion that "I will get so much more or it will be so much better because I am paying more." You might be let down.

 

We went on DCL and loved it and we are going again, and right now we would not considier sailing on another cruise line, even for half the price, that's us.

 

A good way to to think about a Disney cruise is, if you go to Disney World, staying at a Disney resort vs. staying off property at a non Disney resort. You pay more, sometime twice as much for the Disney resort and you get immersed into the whole Disney "magical" experience. Are you paying more for a better room or are you paying for the experience, the complete Disney package.

[moki'smommy]

I have been researching Disney cruises lately. I really want to take kids on one but can't find what we want in o.

 

If you can be date flexible, DCL often has *GT rates at slow times. You can often save $1000 or more on a 7 night cruise when compared to the current on line price.

[Royals Carol]

Disney is pricey! You might want to look at other cruise lines for alternatives. In addition to Carnival, I'd suggest checking out Royal Caribbean (Freedom of the Seas sails from Port Canaveral, Oasis and Allure from Ft. Lauderdale), and Norwegian (new Getaway sails from Miami year-round).

 

I wouldn't recommend the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston. I'm a South Carolina resident, and though I've never done this sailing, if someone from my small, rural town has taken a cruise, it was probably this one! Judging from photographs my friends have taken, not to mention reviews I have read on Cruise Critic, this is a party cruise! :D

 

If you're looking at Carnival out of Miami, you might want to check out my 8-Day Southern Caribbean review on my blog or Cruise Critic, or Gambee's 6-day Southern Caribbean review on Cruise Critic. For a briefer analysis, I also rated the cruise on my blog.

 

I went with 4 other family members on the Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston. We had a Great time. We are not the big partiers as some are but we had so much fun laughing at the people who were parting and just having a good time on their vacation. The ship was beautiful and clean. The staff was amazing and friendly. They work hard to keep this ship nice. Charleston is only a 4 hour drive for me so it is not a big deal to get there. My husband and I have cruised Disney and love it. Both experiences are different and magical in their own way. We have also cruised Royal Caribbean and I personally would prefer Carnival over Royal Caribbean and Disney over all of them but it always comes down to finances. So I say, do what you can afford and have fun doing it..

[meatloafsfan]

I like Carnival cruises and would encourage you to look at all of their newer/redone ships - Breeze, Sunshine, Magic, Dream, even the Liberty and Glory.

 

If you really want to sail DCL though, try being flexible with your dates. For a 5 night Disney Magic cruise to Cozumel and Castaway Cay in November 2015, I booked 3 balcony staterooms (6As) for 9 people for $5826 total (one of the 9 people is a baby so they were a little cheaper than everyone else).

 

For DCL, I consider $130 (including taxes and port fees) to be a good per day price.

 

Assuming that you had 4 people to a cabin for your $7000, I wouldn't consider DCL to be worth $250 a day per person - even less value if you priced less than 4 people in a cabin (3 people would be a charge of $333 a day at $7000 for the cruise).

Edited July 11, 2014 by meatloafsfan
added ships name