Disney Boat vs. The New Liberty of the Seas (or similar)

[Aggiecruiser01]

I keep 'pondering' on this topic... The last two cruises we sailed were Disney... Incredible. But we decided to try a 'less expensive' option.. we are sailing on the new Liberty of the Seas in May. Hoping the adding of all the water slide fun will make it just as good as our Disney experience (the kids will also love the rock climbing, mini-golf, flow rider, an ice skating that RCCL offers). My kids are 6 and 8 and will be in the same kids club together so that will be nice.

 

Anyone out there have a Disney vs. the new Liberty of the Seas comparison? Or even a boat that is similar to Liberty (with all the new add ons) It will be interesting to see the difference between the two... my expectations are reduced as I know it is not Disney.. But would love to gain a renewed loyalty to RCCL for our family- the price sure is right! And after this cruise we will be platinum members (sailed on RCCL a bit before kids)

 

Thanks!

[N41EF]

We've done Disney and Liberty/Allure. The shows on Liberty+ are "Broadway" type, vs Disney cast shows. Food is about the same, Disney get the edge in customer service, we don't gamble so the casino is a waste. Don't drink, so free soda on Disney is a good deal for us. I cruise as a work trip so cost isn't a factor so it really boils down to dates and itinerary.

 

I'd pick Allure+, Dream/Fantasy, Liberty+, Wonder/Magic, the older RCCL ships.

 

We've recently done a few older RCCL ships and had a great time, only major complaint it the shower curtains.

[actuarian]

My wife and I have been on 25 Royal Caribbean cruises and 16 Disney cruises so we are well equipped to make the comparison. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for; when we choose Royal Caribbean it is because either Disney is too much of a stretch on our budget or because we can afford a suite on Royal for the same price as an ordinary room on Disney. That being said, the following are a few of the differences:

 

(1) Every Disney cabin has a bathtub, which can be important when traveling with children. With Royal Caribbean, you have to book at least a Junior Suite to get a bathtub.

(2) All Disney cabins except the least expensive inside cabins have the unique "bath and a half" arrangement. You will not find this on Royal Caribbean.

(3) Service is slightly better on Disney.

(4) A Disney "Family Veranda" stateroom is the same size as a Royal Caribbean Junior Suite. Below that level, all Disney cabins are larger than Royal Caribbean staterooms in the same category. If you do book a suite on Disney, it is a real suite with two or more completely separate rooms. Grand Suites and Owners suites on Royal Caribbean are just big rooms.

(5) When we first started cruising both lines in 2004, the food on Royal Caribbean was quite a bit better than the food on Disney. Indeed, in those days, the only way to be good food on Disney was to dine at Palo. However, Disney food has steadily improved since then while Royal Caribbean seems to have refused to increase its food budget to keep up with inflation. The result is that, while the kitchen staffs on lines are very good, the staff on Disney now has much better ingredients to work with. You see the difference as soon as you hit the welcome aboard buffet. On Disney, that buffet includes jumbo peel and eat shrimp, crab claws and other expensive items. On Royal Caribbean, everything on the buffet is much less expensive.

(6) Royal Caribbean has a live orchestra in its theater while the music is canned in the Disney Theater. That is a big plus for Royal Caribbean. However, everything else about the main theater entertainment is in Disney's favor. That includes the writing, the acting, the plot lines, etc. Disney shows are all marvelous even without live music. The show "Disney Dreams" is the best, but it is only on the two older Disney ships.

(7) No casino on Disney.

(8) Much better loyalty program on Royal Caribbean. Being Platinum on Disney gets you little more than early boarding and discounts in the shops. Being Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean gets us those benefits plus the Diamond Lounge and, on some ships, the Concierge Club, drink vouchers and reserved theater/ice show/aqua show seating.

(9) Complementary soft drinks on Disney. No beverages but coffee, tea and lemonade are complementary on Royal Caribbean unless you are Diamond or higher in their loyalty program. Even then, the complementary beverages cannot be consumed in the restaurants or outside of happy hour.

(10) Disney characters.

Edited April 10, 2016 by actuarian
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