Allure of the Seas vs. Disney Fantasy

[sasha96]

i to kept hearing about the nickel and dimming so it scared me off of the other cruise lines for a long time. now that i have looked into it i just don't see what it is that is supposed to cost so much.

pop, yes, is included on dcl however it will only cost us about $120 for the week and you don't get to pick from 6 or 8 flavours, with the freeform drink machines its more like 40. you have to pay extra for speciality restaurants but you have to do that on dcl as well. you have to pay extra for starbucks but you have to pay extra for cove cafe. there just does not seem to be anything that we get included on dcl that is not included on rcl that i can figure out. if we are saving $2000 (which is approximately what we are saving) then i will gladly pay the pop fee and smile.

what am i missing?

 

Exactly!

[Beachammo]

Never been on a Disney ship....but friends (who have sailed on both) have told me that Disney's regular balcony cabin is the same size as a JS on a Royal ship and they price it out that way. They also have a tub like a JS.

 

When my grandchild gets a little older we will purchase a Disney cruise. In the meantime we'll just stay with Royal or maybe try MSC.

[SevenWonkas]

Never been on a Disney ship....but friends (who have sailed on both) have told me that Disney's regular balcony cabin is the same size as a JS on a Royal ship and they price it out that way. They also have a tub like a JS.

 

 

 

When my grandchild gets a little older we will purchase a Disney cruise. In the meantime we'll just stay with Royal or maybe try MSC.

 

 

A JS on Royal is much bigger than a balcony room on Disney. They are priced similarly, true, but the JS is much larger. A JS is essentially the size of 1.5 rooms, with a huge closet and a large bathroom. Rivals the size of a real hotel room, honestly. Disney's standard rooms may be big, but not that big. :)

Edited January 3, 2016 by SevenWonkas

[flinkerfrosch]

A JS on Royal is much bigger than a balcony room on Disney. They are priced similarly, true, but the JS is much larger. A JS is essentially the size of 1.5 rooms, with a huge closet and a large bathroom. Rivals the size of a real hotel room, honestly. Disney's standard rooms may be big, but not that big. :)

 

That is correct! My family and I have done 11 Disney Cruises in the last 2 years, and we've been on all 4 ships! The Magic is our fav ship! We've also been able to experience every category of staterooms except the 2 bedroom staterooms, and I've never done an inside room cause I need to see out to something. We love love love our Disney Cruises, and I can honestly say we've never had a bad cruise!

The balcony stateroom is not bigger then the JS on the Allure. The Disney staterooms are a good size, and the spilt bathroom we do love! And yes, they have a small, and I mean small bathtub. My kids can fit in it fine, but not really made for an adult.

We've never been on RCCL, but we have 2 booked on the Allure this year, and 1 Disney Cruise. I am Canadian as well, and the price difference baffles me therefore, RCCL will be our pick for now.

I will admit, it was very hard for us to agree to try a new cruise line, but with the price factor, and wanting to try something new, we thought the Allure and or Freedom would be perfect!

We have 2 boys ages 8 and 6, and we also cruise with our friends that have 2 girls ages 3 and 7. We have never been bored, and their is always something to do!

As for the kids club, they're great!! But, they do not stay open till 1 or 2am, they close at midnight evey night. Our kids love the club, and the cast members are fantastic! They are open all day, and no "breaks" in between. They do feed them at each meal if you keep them in the club, but I've never heard of getting "milkshakes" unless it was a special treat. They get water and or juice and that is it! On our 14 night Panama Canal cruise they even had a sleep over in the club. My kids didn't go, but the ones that did, I head they had a great time!

I also love how Disney is so focused on cleanliness, and you will ALWAYS see staff cleaning something on the ship. The service is amazing, and they aim to please 110%.

I'm not a foodie, but we have always enjoyed our meals, and never had a bad meal! As for the drinks, pop etc...yes, that is included at the drink stations on the pool decks, but if u order pop via room service or at the MDR restaurants you will get charged for it.

I also noticed that RCCL has a better breakfast room service menu. On DCL, you do not get anything hot for breakfast unless you're staying Concierge (1 bedroom suite and up) Its in no way a dealer breaker for me, but it would be nice if DCL made a few changes and offered a few things.

If you stay in a 2 bedroom or Royal Suite, you get the Speciality reataurant brought to your room (if you wish) You order ahead of time, and they serve the whole meal in your room with 2 servers. It is also FREE! Now, yes, you pay an arm and a leg for these suites, but you can order it as often as you wish! I'm not sure if they have that kind of service on RCCL?

A HUGE plus for me on DCL is that they have laundry rooms! I prefer to do my own laundry over someone else doing it, even on vacation, but that's just me! If you're in the Royal Suite, laundry is done for you at not cost. All dry cleaning, etc is free!

We have the Allure booked right now for March and for Nov 2016, and my boys are very excited to try something new. They love Disney, but they also love the "extra" things they offer on RCCL ie: Flow rider, rock climbing wall, ice skating etc...

At this time, I can't compare both cruise lines, but I do have a lot of knowledge and experience on DCL. I'm excited to try the Allure, and then I can make my own judgements with my experience between DCL and RCCL.

 

Happy cruising to all!! :)

[tinkertwo]

That is correct! My family and I have done 11 Disney Cruises in the last 2 years, and we've been on all 4 ships! The Magic is our fav ship! We've also been able to experience every category of staterooms except the 2 bedroom staterooms, and I've never done an inside room cause I need to see out to something. We love love love our Disney Cruises, and I can honestly say we've never had a bad cruise!

The balcony stateroom is not bigger then the JS on the Allure. The Disney staterooms are a good size, and the spilt bathroom we do love! And yes, they have a small, and I mean small bathtub. My kids can fit in it fine, but not really made for an adult.

We've never been on RCCL, but we have 2 booked on the Allure this year, and 1 Disney Cruise. I am Canadian as well, and the price difference baffles me therefore, RCCL will be our pick for now.

I will admit, it was very hard for us to agree to try a new cruise line, but with the price factor, and wanting to try something new, we thought the Allure and or Freedom would be perfect!

We have 2 boys ages 8 and 6, and we also cruise with our friends that have 2 girls ages 3 and 7. We have never been bored, and their is always something to do!

As for the kids club, they're great!! But, they do not stay open till 1 or 2am, they close at midnight evey night. Our kids love the club, and the cast members are fantastic! They are open all day, and no "breaks" in between. They do feed them at each meal if you keep them in the club, but I've never heard of getting "milkshakes" unless it was a special treat. They get water and or juice and that is it! On our 14 night Panama Canal cruise they even had a sleep over in the club. My kids didn't go, but the ones that did, I head they had a great time!

I also love how Disney is so focused on cleanliness, and you will ALWAYS see staff cleaning something on the ship. The service is amazing, and they aim to please 110%.

I'm not a foodie, but we have always enjoyed our meals, and never had a bad meal! As for the drinks, pop etc...yes, that is included at the drink stations on the pool decks, but if u order pop via room service or at the MDR restaurants you will get charged for it.

I also noticed that RCCL has a better breakfast room service menu. On DCL, you do not get anything hot for breakfast unless you're staying Concierge (1 bedroom suite and up) Its in no way a dealer breaker for me, but it would be nice if DCL made a few changes and offered a few things.

If you stay in a 2 bedroom or Royal Suite, you get the Speciality reataurant brought to your room (if you wish) You order ahead of time, and they serve the whole meal in your room with 2 servers. It is also FREE! Now, yes, you pay an arm and a leg for these suites, but you can order it as often as you wish! I'm not sure if they have that kind of service on RCCL?

A HUGE plus for me on DCL is that they have laundry rooms! I prefer to do my own laundry over someone else doing it, even on vacation, but that's just me! If you're in the Royal Suite, laundry is done for you at not cost. All dry cleaning, etc is free!

We have the Allure booked right now for March and for Nov 2016, and my boys are very excited to try something new. They love Disney, but they also love the "extra" things they offer on RCCL ie: Flow rider, rock climbing wall, ice skating etc...

At this time, I can't compare both cruise lines, but I do have a lot of knowledge and experience on DCL. I'm excited to try the Allure, and then I can make my own judgements with my experience between DCL and RCCL.

 

Happy cruising to all!! :)

you are not charged for pop in the MDR's, it is included in the price of the cruise. I just thought this should be clarified.

 

Never been on a Disney ship....but friends (who have sailed on both) have told me that Disney's regular balcony cabin is the same size as a JS on a Royal ship and they price it out that way. They also have a tub like a JS.

 

When my grandchild gets a little older we will purchase a Disney cruise. In the meantime we'll just stay with Royal or maybe try MSC.

the JS cabin space is 287 sq ft PLUS 80 sq ft for the balcony. Disneys regular cabin is 299 sq ft BUT that includes the balcony. JS is much bigger so its hard to compare the two.

as to the tub, on disney in most cabins it is a small round tub that no adult could use for a bath, a small child possibly. even for the cabins that have a 'regular' tub, unless its a suite the tub is small and nothing you could stretch out in.

[flinkerfrosch]

you are not charged for pop in the MDR's, it is included in the price of the cruise. I just thought this should be clarified.

 

 

the JS cabin space is 287 sq ft PLUS 80 sq ft for the balcony. Disneys regular cabin is 299 sq ft BUT that includes the balcony. JS is much bigger so its hard to compare the two.

as to the tub, on disney in most cabins it is a small round tub that no adult could use for a bath, a small child possibly. even for the cabins that have a 'regular' tub, unless its a suite the tub is small and nothing you could stretch out in.

 

Disney staterooms are a great size, and layout with tons of storage, but not all staterooms are 299 sq feet. It depends on the ship. The Disney Wonder for example, Deck 8 (Family Deluxe stateroom with Verandah) is 304sq feet and yes, it does include the balcony. It will depend on what Deck your cabin is on. Generally, the higher up you go, the bigger the stateroom. Now Deck 8 is as high as you can go stateroom wise on the Wonder, so it has fairly large staterooms. I've stayed on Deck 8 many times and the rooms are great!

As for the tubs, the newer ships tend to have the round ones. I've had both the round and the normal shaped tub, but it's just much smaller then you would have at home. The suite tubs are huge and amazing! They have jets, and I could fit all 4 kids in them lol The bathroom also has a tv in the mirror and my kids would lounge out in the tub and watch a show. I don't know why, but they loved it lol!

As for the pop thing...we have been charged many times in the MDR's. Now that I think about it, some meals I wasn't charged and others I was. Mostly I was charged, but I never blinked an eye about it cause I really wasn't paying attention. Whether I should or shouldn't have been charged is now something I will have to figure out and make sure it's corrected on my next cruise, thanks for the heads up!

[tinkertwo]

Disney staterooms are a great size, and layout with tons of storage, but not all staterooms are 299 sq feet. It depends on the ship. The Disney Wonder for example, Deck 8 (Family Deluxe stateroom with Verandah) is 304sq feet and yes, it does include the balcony. It will depend on what Deck your cabin is on. Generally, the higher up you go, the bigger the stateroom. Now Deck 8 is as high as you can go stateroom wise on the Wonder, so it has fairly large staterooms. I've stayed on Deck 8 many times and the rooms are great!

As for the tubs, the newer ships tend to have the round ones. I've had both the round and the normal shaped tub, but it's just much smaller then you would have at home. The suite tubs are huge and amazing! They have jets, and I could fit all 4 kids in them lol The bathroom also has a tv in the mirror and my kids would lounge out in the tub and watch a show. I don't know why, but they loved it lol!

As for the pop thing...we have been charged many times in the MDR's. Now that I think about it, some meals I wasn't charged and others I was. Mostly I was charged, but I never blinked an eye about it cause I really wasn't paying attention. Whether I should or shouldn't have been charged is now something I will have to figure out and make sure it's corrected on my next cruise, thanks for the heads up!

 

i won't squabble over 5 sq ft. lol. my information came from the fantasy.

if you were charged for your pop in the MDRs i would be shooting off an email to guest services to get it back. this is directly from the DCL web site….

 

Dining



Savor a wide variety of dining options sure to satisfy even the pickiest of palates, thanks to fresh, expertly prepared dishes available 24 hours a day. Dining options include:

 

 

Three lavishly themed Main Dining restaurants

A charming casual buffet

Convenient quick-service dining

24-hour room service

Complimentary soda, tea and coffee on deck and in the dining rooms

All-you-care-to-enjoy soft-serve ice cream

Late-night snacks in the adult nightclubs and lounges

Kids clubs dining

 

that is the same on all four ships.

[flinkerfrosch]

i won't squabble over 5 sq ft. lol. my information came from the fantasy.

if you were charged for your pop in the MDRs i would be shooting off an email to guest services to get it back. this is directly from the DCL web site….

 

Dining



Savor a wide variety of dining options sure to satisfy even the pickiest of palates, thanks to fresh, expertly prepared dishes available 24 hours a day. Dining options include:

 

 

Three lavishly themed Main Dining restaurants

A charming casual buffet

Convenient quick-service dining

24-hour room service

Complimentary soda, tea and coffee on deck and in the dining rooms

All-you-care-to-enjoy soft-serve ice cream

Late-night snacks in the adult nightclubs and lounges

Kids clubs dining

 

that is the same on all four ships.

 

You're correct, 5 sq feet isn't really a big deal..lol...I was just stating a fact about a stateroom on the Disney Wonder. 304 sq feet is an awesome size for a stateroom where others can range from 246 and up (Balcony room) The Fantasy/Dream generally have smaller staterooms then the classic ships, and that may be a deciding factor on why someone may pick one ship over the other. We all have our reason as to why we pick one ship over the other, and we all have different reasons as to why we may pick one specific stateroom or Category over the other. Personally, we're not in our room that often, but my friend we cruise with 90% of the time always picks her room on size and layout! If a certain category isn't available, we move to another ship and try that one..lol

It's a bummer at times cause I don't care, but she likes her space, so I agree and we always have a blast!

 

As for the pop issue, I honestly can't even remember what cruise I was and wasn't charged for the pop, so from here on out I will be making sure I don't get charged! I don't normally drink pop, but I do like a Diey Coke here and there, and my DH enjoys a Coke once and awhile with dinner:)

[Beachammo]

Per Royal

Caribbean

Blog

Com

 

Royal JS:

 

The exact size of a junior suite varies from ship to ship, anywhere from 221 square feet on Majesty of the Seas to 299 square feet on Brilliance of the Seas.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Beachammo