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What makes disney superior over other lines out there?


Susiecruisey
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Also what other line could it be compared to

 

IMO, it can't really be compared to any other line.

 

As to "superior", that's in the eye of the beholder. Disney has characters and the Disney "magic" that's evident all over the ship. But other cruise lines have other things that may make them superior - casinos (if that's what you're into); better itineraries in some areas; less kids is a draw for some cruisers.

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He thing that makes DCL stand out compared to all the other cruise lines out there is the Disney "magic". There are just so many little touches that Disney does that no one comes close to duplicating.

 

I also really love the decor and elegance that Disney convenes throughout its ships.

Edited by jwalk03
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Our most recent "non-DCL" was on the Celebrity Infinity. While there were some things that Celebrity did better than DCL, it really highlighted some of why WE like Disney better.

 

First, the ship was built at about the same time as the Magic. It really looked like a poor man's version of a cruise ship. Our cabin was about half the size of a DCL cabin. We had twin beds and a chair. No couch, no real sitting area. There was a tiny built in desk. Single bath, small closet. To their credit, there were many built in cabinets for storage. The food was better on Celebrity and they had an enclosed pool as well as outdoor pool. Since we were in Alaska, the enclosed area was nice. They had a "healthy food" take away window where the food was prepared when you ordered it--yummy and healthy! Their guest services was amazing. Down side--ship appearance. CMs speaking their native language to each other around the ship and on guest elevators. (CMs were allowed to ride guest elevators). Kid programming good, but limited hours. Gift shop very upscale only with the exception of "sale" items. Limited assortment. While food was better, dining service was not. My daughter had an unlimited soda package, but getting a refill at dinner was difficult. The serving team was not unfriendly, but only the head server made any attempt at conversation. The entertainment was HORRIBLE with a couple of exceptions. There was one female comedian and one a capella quartet that were good. Cruise director was all about celebrating himself and what a great CD he was (not). Our stateroom hostess was a dear--very on par with DCL.

 

So what is special about Disney...be in any port and watch the reaction to any one of the Disney ships. Definitely the best looking ship in any port. That continues inside the ship as well. Wear a Disney shirt and watch the people ask if you are on the Mickey ship. DCL isn't perfect, but it tries. And no one else has Disney imagineering or the special Disney touches all over the ship.

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Down side--ship appearance. CMs speaking their native language to each other around the ship and on guest elevators. (CMs were allowed to ride guest elevators).

 

Sorry, I just don't see how crew members speaking their native language or being "allowed" to ride guest elevators would make a cruise less superior to another line, just more culturally tolerant and practical IMHO.

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Not really superior to all the other mass market cruise lines that we have experienced (75 cruises on all mass market cruise lines past/present).

More of a unique Disney atmosphere onboard with the same old ports of call ( Castaway Cay is nice but so are the other private islands).

Justifying the extra cost is often difficult.

Unique describes DCL better than superior to us.

Edited by MCC retired
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as mentioned, superior is in the eye of the beholder. We do not have kids but are DCL Platinum cruisers.

 

I love the size of the rooms compared to other lines, the split bath format, having a bathtub to shower in so the water doesn't go all over the floor, we would rather watch a movie than gamble, the staff is MUCH friendlier than on other lines especially in the dining rooms where the other lines are stiff and stodgy, not only can I bring my adult beverages if I buy something in town they don't confiscate it, it stays with me, disembarkation is sooo much smoother (you don't sit in some hallway for an hour waiting for your number to be called, you leave pretty much when you want)

 

RCL's "pool police" count down your time and take your stuff away at the pool and they only allow one towel per person and there was NO food on the pool deck (we had to change our clothes to get a hamburger then change back to go to the pool)

 

When you think about it too, before Disney, the pools were all lumped together and folks couldn't get a quite place to relax without kids. We never could even find a chair on some cruises and had to leave. And not that I use the outdoor movie screen, but that was a first at sea.

 

We have friends who think we should expand our horizons onto the higher priced "sophisticated" lines. But I think I would be bored without the fun in the dining room and elsewhere.

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Simply put, it's the attention to detail. That is the Disney difference. This is true with their ships, their theme parks, and their resort hotels. Along with that attention to detail is a level of quality that simply doesn't exist on other large-ship cruise lines. Yes it costs more, but it's worth every penny if you appreciate detail and quality. If not, there are dozens of other lines to choose from.

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Sorry, I just don't see how crew members speaking their native language or being "allowed" to ride guest elevators would make a cruise less superior to another line, just more culturally tolerant and practical IMHO.

 

It probably reflects my biases, but I had no concerns about allowing teen daughter to ride elevators on DCL alone. I was not comfortable with this on another line where we had frequent situations of 2 or more male crew members on the elevator speaking in a language we didn't understand. There were times that I was not 100% comfortable--it felt like I was invading their space. And I was not at all comfortable with allowing an older teen in the situation (nor was she!)

 

On DCL, you will sometimes see an officer or two riding a guest elevator but if there is a guest on board, they will be speaking English and I've never felt uncomfortable in the situation. They will also get off the elevator if there are many guests wanting to get on.

Edited by moki'smommy
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as mentioned, superior is in the eye of the beholder. We do not have kids but are DCL Platinum cruisers.

 

....disembarkation is sooo much smoother (you don't sit in some hallway for an hour waiting for your number to be called, you leave pretty much when you want)

 

RCL's "pool police" count down your time and take your stuff away at the pool and they only allow one towel per person and there was NO food on the pool deck (we had to change our clothes to get a hamburger then change back to go to the pool)

 

When you think about it too, before Disney, the pools were all lumped together and folks couldn't get a quite place to relax without kids. We never could even find a chair on some cruises and had to leave. And not that I use the outdoor movie screen, but that was a first at .

 

I am eager to experience the disembarkation process on Disney. I hate the "cattle herding" on other lines.

 

Looks like you've cruised Disney almost exclusively and we are eager to go on our first voyage with them. We cruise many lines and wanted to point out a couple of things. Royal Caribbean's "towel police" policy is very popular as it addresses the rude and annoying practice of chair hogging that is rampant on cruise ships. Things are only removed from loungers that are obviously unoccupied. Sounds like you have no trouble finding a place to sit on Disney so we are looking forward to that as well. RCL no longer limits towels or has you sign them out. We have had no difficulty getting food on the pool decks without changing out of our swimsuits.

 

Adult pool areas or sanctuaries have been available on cruise lines pre-Disney, depending on the particular company and ship.

 

And to give credit where credit is due, Princess was the first with the outdoor movie screen.

 

We anticipate that our family will love our Disney Cruise and selected iDCL so that everyone can enjoy the magic.

Edited by sippican
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I have cruised on Princess, NCL, RCCL, Carnival and Disney. The one thing that shines on Disney is the fact that the crew members from the maintenance staff all the way to the ship's officers all seem to have a smile on their faces. They all make an effort to say hello and ask how you are doing. On the other lines, some worse then others, the crew, at times, are surly. The service that you get on Disney reflects that fact.

 

My 16 year old DD is a Disney snob, after we tried a NCL cruise, I cannot get her to try another cruise line.

 

Tim

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We just returned from our first DCL cruise. While it was enjoyable, I hardly feel like it was superior. This is particularly true when compared to our last cruise 2 months ago on Regent Seven Seas Navigator. The Navigator's boarding procedure, cabin, food and debarkation were vastly superior to those on DCL's Fantasy.

 

On the Fantasy, I inadvertently locked myself out of my cabin. (This is easy to do since you have to leave your ship card in a slot to keep the lights on.) I was unable to locate my Cabin Steward, so I went down the hall and asked another Steward to let me back in my room. She immediately informed me that, "that wasn't her job!" I had to wait 30 minutes until my Steward returned to get back into my room. Also, my 6-year-old granddaughter was bitten by an iguana while on a DCL sold Dolphin tour on Grand Cayman. The tour operator stopped the bleeding and suggested that she be taken to the doctor on board the Fantasy. We took her there and they applied a band aid and gave her some pills, as well as a $150 charge. When I complained about the charge, Disney personnel told me that it happened on a third party operator's tour and therefore DCL was not responsible. After several "discussions" the Shore Excursion Director cancelled the $129 charge for the tour and gave us some tickets for freebees on Castaway Cay, but did nothing about the on board medical charges.

 

While we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, it was definitely not superior to prior cruises we have taken. The food was a step below most cruise lines and several steps below RSS, Seabourn and Celebrity. We found the crew's attitudes to be a thin veneer of civility and we really detested the LONG LINES. That being said, our wait staff was among the very best.

 

It is interesting to note that our grandkids (ages 10, 7 and 6) preferred the RCCL's Allure of the Seas that we cruised on last year to the Fantasy. It was also considerably less expensive for similar cabins than on the Fantasy. The rest of our grandkids...three, 3-year-old boys were new to cruising and loved the mac and cheese, the chicken fingers, the chocolate chip cookies and most of all, the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars on the Fantasy.

 

Would we go on DCL again? If the grandkids want to - you bet. Otherwise, my wife and I will go elsewhere with our group of 14.

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On the Fantasy, I inadvertently locked myself out of my cabin. (This is easy to do since you have to leave your ship card in a slot to keep the lights on.) I was unable to locate my Cabin Steward, so I went down the hall and asked another Steward to let me back in my room. She immediately informed me that, "that wasn't her job!" I had to wait 30 minutes until my Steward returned to get back into my room. Also, my 6-year-old granddaughter was bitten by an iguana while on a DCL sold Dolphin tour on Grand Cayman. The tour operator stopped the bleeding and suggested that she be taken to the doctor on board the Fantasy. We took her there and they applied a band aid and gave her some pills, as well as a $150 charge. When I complained about the charge, Disney personnel told me that it happened on a third party operator's tour and therefore DCL was not responsible. After several "discussions" the Shore Excursion Director cancelled the $129 charge for the tour and gave us some tickets for freebees on Castaway Cay, but did nothing about the on board medical charges.

 

Was the iguana part of the tour (obviously before the dolphin part) or just local wildlife?

 

ex techie

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Simply put, it's the attention to detail. That is the Disney difference. This is true with their ships, their theme parks, and their resort hotels. Along with that attention to detail is a level of quality that simply doesn't exist on other large-ship cruise lines. Yes it costs more, but it's worth every penny if you appreciate detail and quality. If not, there are dozens of other lines to choose from.

 

I enjoy the Disney difference. I just won't pay a lot more for it! :D

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The iguana was on the premises of the Dolphin Tour. While it may not have been part of the "tour" When you charge to take kids to a location, I think you should make sure that the area is safe. Apparently it is not uncommon for iguanas to become aggressive. Following Disney's logic that they bore no responsibility, they would also claim that the tenders who took everyone ashore weren't their responsibility because they were also 3rd party operations.

 

On the same cruise many parents complained that their kids had been stung by jelly fish at Castaway Cay.

 

I guess I just expected too much DCL.

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The iguana was on the premises of the Dolphin Tour. While it may not have been part of the "tour" When you charge to take kids to a location, I think you should make sure that the area is safe. Apparently it is not uncommon for iguanas to become aggressive. Following Disney's logic that they bore no responsibility, they would also claim that the tenders who took everyone ashore weren't their responsibility because they were also 3rd party operations.

 

On the same cruise many parents complained that their kids had been stung by jelly fish at Castaway Cay.

 

I guess I just expected too much DCL.

 

Any animal at any time can become aggressive. When you participate in these tours that include contact with wild creatures, you should be aware of the inherent risks you are assuming.

Unfortunately, it is frequently more harmful to the animals than the humans. Since the Dolphin Encounters are one of my pet peeves I'll post this link and ask that anyone considering one at least do so with an educated mind.

http://us.whales.org/issues/swimming-with-dolphins

Sorry, I don't think that Disney bears any responsibility in creating assurance of safety on these excursions, any more than if you were zip lining, scuba diving, etc.

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The iguana was on the premises of the Dolphin Tour. While it may not have been part of the "tour" When you charge to take kids to a location, I think you should make sure that the area is safe. Apparently it is not uncommon for iguanas to become aggressive. Following Disney's logic that they bore no responsibility, they would also claim that the tenders who took everyone ashore weren't their responsibility because they were also 3rd party operations.

 

On the same cruise many parents complained that their kids had been stung by jelly fish at Castaway Cay.

 

I guess I just expected too much DCL.

 

I have to assume you didn't have trip insurance, as that would've reimbursed you for the medical center bill.

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The iguana was on the premises of the Dolphin Tour. While it may not have been part of the "tour" When you charge to take kids to a location, I think you should make sure that the area is safe. Apparently it is not uncommon for iguanas to become aggressive. Following Disney's logic that they bore no responsibility, they would also claim that the tenders who took everyone ashore weren't their responsibility because they were also 3rd party operations.

 

On the same cruise many parents complained that their kids had been stung by jelly fish at Castaway Cay.

 

I guess I just expected too much DCL.

 

 

 

I find it kinda silly to expect DCL or any other line to be responsible for everything in nature.

 

What happens if a skunk sprays someone or a child on your property at home?....your responsible as well following your chain of thought.

 

 

Would they be expecting to much of you?

 

 

AKK

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We used to think the high price tag for DCL was nuts....then we went on the Dream. We've now also done the Magic and have the Fantasy booked.

 

For us it is the value you get with kids. DS loves the production shows every night. There are lots of family games (e.g. potato race cars). There is fun things around the ship (e.g. detective agency on Dream/Fantasy). We are just never bored. We also enjoyed RCCL Allure's of the Seas, but definteley Disney has a lot more family friend entertainment. And DS hands down likes the DCL kids clubs better - especially the fact he can have them call the wave phones to be picked up when he is done. On RCCL if you didn't want to do the group activity there wasn't alot to do. DCL has so many areas.

 

And the bigger rooms are super nice traveling as a family. The small pools are terrible for the number of people, but we did enjoy the slides.

 

Food is subjective and we are not foodies. But we do not travel DCL for the food. There were a couple times we travelled the buffet and didn't find much. Dinners a bit fancy. But with that said we've never gone hungry.

 

DH and I would never travel DCL by ourselves, we prefer the adult entertainment and casinos on other ships. But with DS we love DCL!

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We just returned from our first DCL cruise. While it was enjoyable, I hardly feel like it was superior. This is particularly true when compared to our last cruise 2 months ago on Regent Seven Seas Navigator. The Navigator's boarding procedure, cabin, food and debarkation were vastly superior to those on DCL's Fantasy.

 

 

 

You can't seriously be comparing a Disney cruise to Regent! One (Disney) is essentially mass-market large ship cruising, while the other (Regent) is a small-ship luxury experience. One is family oriented while the other is adults oriented. Apples to oranges. Night and day.

 

I've sailed on luxury lines such as Silversea and it's an awesome experience, but I can't compare it to Disney. They don't even remotely compete against one another.

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The iguana was on the premises of the Dolphin Tour. While it may not have been part of the "tour" When you charge to take kids to a location, I think you should make sure that the area is safe. Apparently it is not uncommon for iguanas to become aggressive. Following Disney's logic that they bore no responsibility, they would also claim that the tenders who took everyone ashore weren't their responsibility because they were also 3rd party operations.

 

On the same cruise many parents complained that their kids had been stung by jelly fish at Castaway Cay.

 

I guess I just expected too much DCL.

 

Was the Iguana owned by the tour centre or just a wild one that was there?

 

As for the tenders, they and DCL have control over their vessels, staff and the condition they keep them in.

Now if the weather was bad and you couldn't tender, neither one can control that.

If they tried to tender and the weather was so bad that you hurt yourself, yes both could be held liable for not assessing the weather, risks and dangers.

If the vessel was unseaworthy or was dangerous, sharp edges, no warning signs for low roofs, steps, required amount of life vests etc, they can control that and should be held responsible for any injuries or possible harm.

 

If you were stung by a bee getting off the tender, who is responsible for that?

You, DCL, the tender company or Mother Nature if you needed a shot or medical assistance?

 

 

ex techie

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You can't seriously be comparing a Disney cruise to Regent! One (Disney) is essentially mass-market large ship cruising, while the other (Regent) is a small-ship luxury experience. One is family oriented while the other is adults oriented. Apples to oranges. Night and day.

 

I've sailed on luxury lines such as Silversea and it's an awesome experience, but I can't compare it to Disney. They don't even remotely compete against one another.

 

The OP didn't specify WHICH other cruise lines. If it's an open-ended comparison, then all should apply.

 

 

All I'll say about the whole topic is that Disney is far better at some things, and then not so good at others. Which doesn't make them superior to anyone.

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The OP didn't specify WHICH other cruise lines. If it's an open-ended comparison, then all should apply.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't agree. Apples to oranges. Like comparing the Ritz Carlton to a Motel 6 or Emirates First Class to Southwest. It's just not a fair comparison nor is it really relevant.

 

Based on my experience DCL does things better than most other cruise lines in the same market-segment (I've sailed them all multiple times), therefore I would say DCL is superior in many ways. The downside is they cost more, sometimes substantially so. For many the additional cost is not worth the "Disney Difference" and that is fine. I don't sail on DCL for every cruise (I love variety), but I sure to enjoy them when I do.

Edited by eroller
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The OP didn't specify WHICH other cruise lines. If it's an open-ended comparison, then all should apply.

 

 

All I'll say about the whole topic is that Disney is far better at some things, and then not so good at others. Which doesn't make them superior to anyone.

 

Too true.

 

DCL exceeds in some niche departments, but fail to cater to all ages and all departments.

They try, but fail to meet the needs, interests and entertainment for all ages.

Mostly down to cost, lack of ability in the planning stages when building ships, and the arrogance they have to think they are the be all and end all of "family" cruising.

They tend to overlook the obvious needs and desires to concentrate on what the Imagineer envisaged it would be, and everyone else is as quite as a mouse when someone is brave enough to stick their head above the parapet to point the obvious out, there is no back up, support, vote, as the Imagineer is GOD.

 

ex techie

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