RCL abandoned PC and DCL won my business

[coldflame]

Silly? Your comment is rude!

Port Canaveral is about 3 hours driving time away from Ft Lauderdale, and about a half hour more to Miami, 'without traffic'.

So if you add that on to the time it takes you to get to Port Canaveral, many can't drive that far because of age, medical reasons, etc..

The driving distance might not bother you, it might bother others!:eek:

 

That being said, I'm sure RCL will keep a ship in PC if only to keep Carnival, and Disney from taking over completely!

 

No worries, DCL is doing that themselves via pricing. 7 x CC Gold member here and we likely won't be cruising DCL any time soon. Their itineraries are consistently $1500+ more costly than RCCL. If you go to forums elsewhere on the net, you'll see several threads of "priced out pity partiy" :) DCL are a for-profit and I'm glad they can price higher than the competition, but there is a limit how much people are willing to fork for a comparable cruise: I think they crossed it.

[CCC3]

I would like some 3-4 day cruises out of Galveston. Even of they hit just one port! I think people who cruise out of Galveston would enjoy that weekend getaway option, too.

[Morecruisesplz]

With RCL's decision to move Enchantment to Miami and not to replace her until the 2016 winter season, we were left with nothing to book for short week-end cruises in the summer and fall. Couple that with RCL's incessant "sales" that only serve to jack up prices, and Disney is now a viable option for us. With no short RCL cruises available from PC, and costs within a few hundred $$ of each other, we are now booked on two DCL cruises in the summer of 2016.

 

I would pay a few hundred more for DCL any day of the week. The food is much superior to RCL's current offering, the adult area is really for adults only with great bars, coffee bars and upscale seating, and the shows are amazing. If you drink soda, it is free and they allow cruisers to bring booze onboard.

[Big_G]

I don't judge others for their decisions on where to live and I surely don't appreciate your attitude towards those that live in our sunny state. Do we have wonderful weather, yes and it comes with the issue of hurricanes that we fully understand....and the high premiums we pay for hurricane and flood insurance, no longer put us in the category of 'low taxes'.

 

 

 

There is a great misunderstanding about 'scoring a last minute deal' for a cruise....they are very few and far between and from my point of view, IF you find one, it isn't for a cabin type that I would want.

 

 

 

From your vantage point -- the world is much greener in our backyard.

 

 

 

We love it here, and although I could drive to Tampa and PC, I keep cruising from Miami and FLL -- because I don't want a long drive. For some, they have medical reasons that a long drive and it isn't something they can do -- and what constitutes a long drive, varies from person to person -- I don't judge others on that -- but hope they continue to find cruises they enjoy taking. I have flown to take a cruise, but don't like that as much as the short drive I have. When we need to fly to take the cruise we want, we do.

 

 

Geez Paulette, lighten up. I guess it's hard to say anything in jest on these boards anymore. Seems everyone is just waiting to be offended. How many cheeky smiles does it take to NOT offend some one around here.

 

 

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Edited March 29, 2015 by Big_G

[luv2cruiserccl]

I want a port in Michigan...but that probably will never happen. Sorry to hear about the limited sailings from PC.

Mary

Second that!

 

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[sassy0930]

Second that!

 

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Triple it! LOL. Lake Michigan cruises just don't cut it.

[notsomadhatter]

No worries, DCL is doing that themselves via pricing. 7 x CC Gold member here and we likely won't be cruising DCL any time soon. Their itineraries are consistently $1500+ more costly than RCCL. If you go to forums elsewhere on the net, you'll see several threads of "priced out pity partiy" :) DCL are a for-profit and I'm glad they can price higher than the competition, but there is a limit how much people are willing to fork for a comparable cruise: I think they crossed it.

 

This is almost exactly where we sit, only we've got 16 sailings under our belt. Our last Disney cruise (for a wedding) is coming up shortly. I'm just not willing to fork over the money they are asking for most dates. We've moved over to X and Royal.

Edited March 29, 2015 by notsomadhatter

[orville99]

This is almost exactly where we sit, only we've got 16 sailings under our belt. Our last Disney cruise (for a wedding) is coming up shortly. I'm just not willing to fork over the money they are asking for most dates. We've moved over to X and Royal.

 

The biggest problem with Disney's pricing is they tend to overprice their interior rooms and/or underprice their balcony rooms. On the first one we have booked, there's only $150 difference between the least expensive interior cabin and the least expensive balcony cabin. On other lines like RCL, that delta is quite a bit wider.

 

On the flip side, even their cheapest balcony cabin is bigger than the JS on Enchantment. When we do short cruises on RCL, we generally book a JS for the extra room, so when I'm comparing prices between the two, a balcony on Disney that's bigger and has better amenities than a JS on Enchantment is only ~$100-$200 different

[sippican]

I do hope you enjoy DCL. We loved many things about the line, but disliked enough to probably not look at them as an option in the future. When we are in FL we feel very fortunate to consider TPA, PC, FLL and MIA as ports that are an easy drive away.

[orville99]

I do hope you enjoy DCL. We loved many things about the line, but disliked enough to probably not look at them as an option in the future. When we are in FL we feel very fortunate to consider TPA, PC, FLL and MIA as ports that are an easy drive away.

 

We do, but then we enjoy RCL as well. We're Platinum on Disney, but haven't been on one of their ships since 2010, so it will be like going back to a good friend for us. We have four cruises booked on RCL between now and next March, so we'll be ping-ponging between the two lines through next year.

 

I'd love to see Celebrity or HAL move a ship to PC, though.

[Firefighterhoop]

I also understand the position of the OP. As a person that still works as well, the start and end date play a big role in which cruise you can take, and for me what flights I can take to pick up said cruise.

 

Sounds like the OP is in a position they still work M-F, and are fortunate enough to be able to "jump" on a ship for the weekend without taking Vacation/PTO out of Port Canaveral, where as Miami/FLL may not be an option with working the day of/after a cruise, so I can see their frustration with not having RCCL as an option for an extended period of time for a weekend getaway.

 

I hope that you (OP) have a good time no matter what you decide to do!

[American Bear]

Disney may very well be cheaper because they have no casino for my wife to lose $200 per night.

 

LOLOLOL

My wife says the same thing about me!:D

[American Bear]

Not in the summer. When HAL, NCL, and RCL pull their ships across the pond for the summer, all that's left is the Carnival Paradise.:(

 

Very true, Tampa has little choice in the summer months.

[poncho1973]

Sometimes I wonder what I'll complain about when I'm retired, of course I won't be able to retire for like 25 more years or so, but I'm curious about what I'll complain about.

 

If you think about the top of the line cruise ships from 25 years ago (Sovereign-class ships were the biggest in the world) compared to today's ships, the sheer awesomeness yet to come should provide me countless hours of whining and bitterness about how it used to be in MY day.

Edited March 30, 2015 by poncho1973

[lady_cruiser]

I feel for y'all losing a ship. Royal Caribbean is leaving New Orleans and has no plans to replace her with a smaller ship. Of course we always have Galveston but we have family in New Orleans so it is always nice when we can leave from there.

[trev71]

Wow. So many judgmental people here.

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[coldflame]

I would pay a few hundred more for DCL any day of the week. The food is much superior to RCL's current offering, the adult area is really for adults only with great bars, coffee bars and upscale seating, and the shows are amazing. If you drink soda, it is free and they allow cruisers to bring booze onboard.

 

7 x DCL traveler here:

 

* Food at MDRs and Cabanas/Flo's is so-so, I would not call it 'superior' to any other cruise line I've traveled on.

 

* It's funny you mention the adult areas as a positive when even basic forum search (and from my own experience) the adult-only areas are a bit of a joke in DCL, the adult-only policy is very seldom enforced.

 

* Shows, I give you that one. About 3/4 the theater play shows are excellent, the other 1/4 are terrible, though.

 

* drink/soda depends on how much you drink and bringing booze into the ship is nice for those who drink liberally.

 

Overall, when you compare, DCL is worth a premium (but never thousand dollars difference) if you have never sailed with them, just for the experience. But their ships are not repeat friendly. After the second time on board, there really isn't that much to do for adults or kids.

[travelgoddess1]

During our careers, DW and I have both logged more than 1 Million air miles, so we have no desire to ever fly anywhere anymore. As for ports, we routinely cruise out of both PC and Tampa, but DW can't do the 3+hour drive to FLL anymore, so PC and Tampa (each less than 1 hour from home) are really our only options. One of the main reasons why we moved to Central Florida was to allow us to cruise at will without flying or long drives.

 

While I would like to sympathize, it is difficult. We live on the West Coast and have not had an RCI ship here, other than as a port of call, since 2011. PC still has good options, and will have more, so if you go through a short dry spell, be patient.

 

There are always options if you keep an open mind. :)

[sippican]

7 x DCL traveler here:

 

* Food at MDRs and Cabanas/Flo's is so-so, I would not call it 'superior' to any other cruise line I've traveled on.

 

* It's funny you mention the adult areas as a positive when even basic forum search (and from my own experience) the adult-only areas are a bit of a joke in DCL, the adult-only policy is very seldom enforced.

 

* Shows, I give you that one. About 3/4 the theater play shows are excellent, the other 1/4 are terrible, though.

 

* drink/soda depends on how much you drink and bringing booze into the ship is nice for those who drink liberally.

 

Overall, when you compare, DCL is worth a premium (but never thousand dollars difference) if you have never sailed with them, just for the experience. But their ships are not repeat friendly. After the second time on board, there really isn't that much to do for adults or kids.

 

Agree completely. I think we expected so much more based on the price we paid.

Additional observations on the food - there were no hot items offered on the DCL room service breakfast menu (we love breakfast on the balcony) and no omelet station in the AM buffet. However, Remy's was fantastic, our best specialty restaurant experience, hands down (but very pricey).

The adult pool area on Fantasy was very disappointing. It can't even begin to compare to those we've experienced on X or RCI. The noise from the main pool filters right in, and tons of kids cutting through.

We are glad we tried it once, and the kids loved it, but our entire party agreed that it does not merit repeating. We prefer to get our dose of pixie dust at WDW.

[Morecruisesplz]

7 x DCL traveler here:

 

* Food at MDRs and Cabanas/Flo's is so-so, I would not call it 'superior' to any other cruise line I've traveled on.

 

* It's funny you mention the adult areas as a positive when even basic forum search (and from my own experience) the adult-only areas are a bit of a joke in DCL, the adult-only policy is very seldom enforced.

 

* Shows, I give you that one. About 3/4 the theater play shows are excellent, the other 1/4 are terrible, though.

 

* drink/soda depends on how much you drink and bringing booze into the ship is nice for those who drink liberally.

 

Overall, when you compare, DCL is worth a premium (but never thousand dollars difference) if you have never sailed with them, just for the experience. But their ships are not repeat friendly. After the second time on board, there really isn't that much to do for adults or kids.

 

Are you honestly going to argue that the steaks in MDR on DCL are not real beef, as compared to the processed-like prime rib and fillets RCL serves?

I don't know what DCL ships you are sailing, but I've never seen any children in the adult pool area on my Disney cruises.

No one mentioned paying thousands of dollars difference for DCL except you. In fact if read my post it said: "I would pay a few hundred more for DCL any day of the week. "

As far what to do after the second time onboard a DCL ship, how is that different than any Royal ship?

(Don't get me wrong, I've cruised far and away more RCL cruises than DCL. I was responding to the OP's question with my experience on DCL.)

 

A Diamond + RCL Crown & Anchor Member

[poncho1973]

I don't know what DCL ships you are sailing, but I've never seen any children in the adult pool area on my Disney cruises.

 

As someone who has cruised DCL & Royal several times, I will say that I've never had this problem on Magic or Wonder, but have had this problem on Dream (I haven't been on Fantasy, but it's laid out the same) because of how the adult pool is laid out.

 

We didn't have kids in the adult pools, just (what seemed like) CONSTANTLY in the adult area because they had to pass through from the forward elevator heading aft where all the family spots are.

 

The design of those two ships makes it almost insane for them not to pass through the adult area. The forward elevators still say "Deck 11 - pools/Cabanas/Senses Spa" so half of the people on the ship have to walk from the front half to the back half.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/disney-dream-deck-plans/dp/?shipID=548&deck=11

 

At least on the smaller ships, they walk around the perimeter and not right through the middle.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/disney-magic-deck-plans/dp/?shipID=33&deck=9

[coldflame]

Are you honestly going to argue that the steaks in MDR on DCL are not real beef, as compared to the processed-like prime rib and fillets RCL serves?

I don't know what DCL ships you are sailing, but I've never seen any children in the adult pool area on my Disney cruises.

No one mentioned paying thousands of dollars difference for DCL except you. In fact if read my post it said: "I would pay a few hundred more for DCL any day of the week. "

As far what to do after the second time onboard a DCL ship, how is that different than any Royal ship?

(Don't get me wrong, I've cruised far and away more RCL cruises than DCL. I was responding to the OP's question with my experience on DCL.)

 

A Diamond + RCL Crown & Anchor Member

 

4 x Dream, 3 x Fantasy. As Poncho already alluded to, the layout of the ship (bad design on their part) has the adult area and swimming pool by the Forward elevators. So there's lots of traffic, including kids (who sometimes linger for a few minutes).

 

As for things to do: for an active family in the Freedom class or newer there just a lot to do whether sports, fitness, their swimming pools and splash areas are gigantic (in comparison to Dream class ships), ice skating, etc. While Dream and Fantasy are just gorgeous and immaculate kept, there really isn't much to do in terms of whole-family activities, again, past the first couple times aboard.

[John&LaLa]

Rumor has it that the 2016 PC sailings of Oasis are a little less than Allure. That's positive news

[molly361]

Rumor has it that the 2016 PC sailings of Oasis are a little less than Allure. That's positive news

 

I think I may have started that rumor;) At least they are for the few I looked at November/December 2016.

 

PS Already changed that OA cruise out of FLL to one out of PC, much closer to home :)

Edited April 2, 2015 by molly361

[BillOh]

I want a port in Michigan...but that probably will never happen. Sorry to hear about the limited sailings from PC.

Mary

 

There is a cruise ship that sails the great lakes. It doesn't stop in Erie though.