DCL vs Royal Carib.

[alaska_planner]

In past years' date=' the Med cruises have not been nearly so costly as the Brit Isles/Baltic/Northern Europe cruises.[/quote']

 

i was responding to the comment about cruises that are port heavy being a waste of money on DCL...

for me, europe isn't port heavy as i don't get off at the ports...been there, done that....what matters to me is the ship, not the ports...

 

as for alaska (also mentioned in that comment), the only reason i chose Royal instead of DCL in alaska is i wanted a one way cruise so that i could spend time in mainland alaska...otherwise, i would have sailed DCL... :)

Edited December 14, 2016 by alaska_planner

[Donna_In_India]

i was responding to the comment about cruises that are port heavy being a waste of money on DCL...

for me, europe isn't port heavy as i don't get off at the ports...been there, done that....what matters to me is the ship, not the ports...

 

as for alaska (also mentioned in that comment), the only reason i chose Royal instead of DCL in alaska is i wanted a one way cruise so that i could spend time in mainland alaska...otherwise, i would have sailed DCL... :)

 

Disney doesn't go to Glacier Bay. That's a big downside.

 

I'd never consider the Magic the "destination". Not a lot going on - at least on the Caribbean cruises - on port days. Guess it all depends on what you like to do.

[alaskawdw12]

Disney doesn't go to Glacier Bay. That's a big downside.

 

 

 

I'd never consider the Magic the "destination". Not a lot going on - at least on the Caribbean cruises - on port days. Guess it all depends on what you like to do.

 

 

DH and I were just on the Magic in the Med in September and have never been as busy on a cruise as we were. We stayed onboard during 2 of the 4 ports and only got off for lunch at the 4th port.

 

We're not sit-by-the-pool-people, there was just so much going on all the time! And I'm comparing it to Allure of the Seas...a much bigger ship. This cruise was my return to DCL as an adult and DH's first Disney cruise. We'd been on 3 RCCL cruises before this cruise and were worried we'd be bored or that it wouldn't be worth the money. We chose this cruise because it's close to home and really wanted to see Tangled. The first night DH was already sold on DCL, saying how much better it is than RCCL (which we love and thoroughly enjoyed each cruise with them!). We spent the rest of the week trying to figure out why exactly we find DCL to be so superior. We felt like we were in a floating Disney park...it was the first time we felt like we were at a destination as appose to a fun floating hotel that takes you from place to place. The shows are magical with the most talented actors and singers on sea. The dinners are so special.

 

One thing that stood out, just as an example, was the way waiters at lunch treated guests. On Royal at TS lunch the waiters were just meh...definitely felt like since we're not tipping them - no need to smile. On DCL we were blown away by our waiters at lunch. Both the server and assistant were so nice, friendly and lovely! Our waiter was doing magic tricks for the little girl at the table next to ours, drawing a dolphin with the ketchup, it was so sweet, they were having a great time. DH and I were so impressed by the level of service, it felt special.

 

One night they decorate the ship as if it's freezing, another night O'Gil's is takin over by the Snugly Duckling and actors come into the bar acting like thugs...it's just those little touches all over the place.

 

In short, totally agree with the OP :). We have also been converted by The Mouse.

 

Regarding Glacier Bay in Alaska - RCCL also doesn't go there. But they (and Disney) go to Icy Strait Point, which is our favorite port, and glacier viewing is Hubbard, which is enough for us.

 

 

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[Donna_In_India]

What did you do on board during port days?

Edited December 15, 2016 by Donna_In_India

[moki'smommy]

What did you do on board during port days?

 

Whatever you want to---with no lines and no waiting. The kid programming operates just as on a sea day with full activities. There are few scheduled character appearances while the ships are in port, but you can be surprised by characters around the ship. You will have at least Cabanas + 1 sit down restaurant open (sometimes more especially if the weather is less than spectacular). The water slide will be functioning with essentially no line. There is room to swim in the pools. Chill out on deck with plenty of chairs, little noise, few kids running thru, etc. The spa often has discounts available. The sports deck, mini golf, sports simulator, etc. are typically available with no waiting. Movies are shown in the BVT.

 

True that there are relatively few scheduled adult/family activities till near "all aboard" time. I enjoy stretching out with a book in the adult only area.

 

On longer cruises, people from the roll calls made their own activities in addition to those scheduled by the cruise staff...but these were mostly during sea days on the TA cruises. We planned things like a pajama breakfast, tour of cabins (people volunteered to allow their cabin to be viewed and a group got to tour to see the various types of cabins. We did limit the group size based on who signed up first), champagne brunch, pink ladies, library book swap, craft group, etc.

[mollyeilis]

Overall, Disney wins.

 

...

 

DCL does better:

food quality,variety and taste

 

 

their app (get the app!!!! it is a must!)

 

and portable phones

 

treating you like guests of honor

 

more space in the interior room.

 

 

More activity options (free cooking class, napkin folding,etc)

 

Rotational dining and entertainment while dining

 

Fireworks!!

 

Better things on TV (movies such as Elf and the new Ghostbusters, Disney Jr. shows, Disney ...

 

 

I can't compare the kids' club on both ships because we only used DCL kids club. I will say the DCL kids club HAS to be the winner. You just can't beat what they have for kids.

 

 

 

It's all so personal. I disagree with all but the app opinion in what I listed above. (The stuff I deleted I have no opinion on or disagree with so much I can't comment)

 

Food is about equal for this family of vegetarians. Overall we end up just getting Indian food by special request in both lines. But Royal had sweet and sour soy nuggets which are good. Disney does have the potato celeriac gratin but they wouldn't give me two salads.

 

Like I said I'll give you the app. For a whole $150 more we are getting internet for two devices at a time starting tomorrow on Adventure and that's a whole lot less than sailing dcl would be.

 

The wave phones are horrid.

 

I've never been treated like a guest of honor by anyone but exactly two Disney cms. One is no longer with dcl (bye Wensdae) and the other recognized my kid nearly a year apart so that was cool. But she stands out because none of the other dcl cms got to know my kid at all, while the rci employees greet him by name on the second night, outside of the kids club.

 

Don't know about the inside room on rci because I don't have to go inside on rci. :)

 

We are constantly busy on rci. On dcl there's loads of downtime for us.

 

Rotational dining is a gimmick that irritates me. I like one dining room. I don't want to have to figure out where I'm going. And I seriously do not need entertainment while eating. For young kids it distracts them from getting nutrients in their bodies and for me it irks me.

 

I'm am spoiled by my chosen town and by Disneyland a few years back. Even my kid was yawning at the fireworks and literally asking if that was it. We

go to bed before fireworks now. Why me disappointed? I don't even like Wishes; that's how good disneyland used to be and how good our home fireworks are.

 

I don't watch tv on a cruise. (I'll be online while doing laundry in San Juan the day before the cruise, and I'll text my son who will be in the Teen group on the cruise, but watching tv or movies while cruising? No thank you. )

 

My son likes dcl kid clubs. He has *loved* rci kid club. They know him by name, they play WITH the kids instead of just standing around, etc. they are more like the Ymca employees we know. So in our family it's the opposite. We will see how it goes with this "12 years old means teen club" thing though.

 

 

It's all so personal.

Edited December 16, 2016 by mollyeilis

[moki'smommy]

Your last line says it: It's all so personal.

 

My other comment is that per your sig line, your DCL cruises have all been on the Dream. In my opinion, it is the least desirable of the DCL ships. However, I know that I'm in the minority preferring the classics to the newer ships. Of the two newer ships, I prefer the Fantasy.

 

And yes, I know what you mean about a YAC CM remembering your kid. Nothing beat the "Magic" of a CM on deck 4 literally screaming my daughter's name as we were boarding the ship, and we hadn't cruised for a year.

[alaska_planner]

Your last line says it: It's all so personal.

 

My other comment is that per your sig line' date=' your DCL cruises have all been on the Dream. In my opinion, it is the least desirable of the DCL ships. However, I know that I'm in the minority preferring the classics to the newer ships. Of the two newer ships, I prefer the Fantasy.

 

And yes, I know what you mean about a YAC CM remembering your kid. Nothing beat the "Magic" of a CM on deck 4 literally screaming my daughter's name as we were boarding the ship, and we hadn't cruised for a year.[/quote']

 

i'm in that same minority...the classic ships are so much more personal...

at least compared to the dream - i haven't been on the fantasy..

[JVilleGal]

Gosh is there really a choice????

 

 

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[alaska_planner]

It's all so personal. I disagree with all but the app opinion in what I listed above. (The stuff I deleted I have no opinion on or disagree with so much I can't comment)

 

Food is about equal for this family of vegetarians. Overall we end up just getting Indian food by special request in both lines. But Royal had sweet and sour soy nuggets which are good. Disney does have the potato celeriac gratin but they wouldn't give me two salads.

 

Like I said I'll give you the app. For a whole $150 more we are getting internet for two devices at a time starting tomorrow on Adventure and that's a whole lot less than sailing dcl would be.

 

The wave phones are horrid.

 

I've never been treated like a guest of honor by anyone but exactly two Disney cms. One is no longer with dcl (bye Wensdae) and the other recognized my kid nearly a year apart so that was cool. But she stands out because none of the other dcl cms got to know my kid at all, while the rci employees greet him by name on the second night, outside of the kids club.

 

Don't know about the inside room on rci because I don't have to go inside on rci. :)

 

We are constantly busy on rci. On dcl there's loads of downtime for us.

 

Rotational dining is a gimmick that irritates me. I like one dining room. I don't want to have to figure out where I'm going. And I seriously do not need entertainment while eating. For young kids it distracts them from getting nutrients in their bodies and for me it irks me.

 

I'm am spoiled by my chosen town and by Disneyland a few years back. Even my kid was yawning at the fireworks and literally asking if that was it. We

go to bed before fireworks now. Why me disappointed? I don't even like Wishes; that's how good disneyland used to be and how good our home fireworks are.

 

I don't watch tv on a cruise. (I'll be online while doing laundry in San Juan the day before the cruise, and I'll text my son who will be in the Teen group on the cruise, but watching tv or movies while cruising? No thank you. )

 

My son likes dcl kid clubs. He has *loved* rci kid club. They know him by name, they play WITH the kids instead of just standing around, etc. they are more like the Ymca employees we know. So in our family it's the opposite. We will see how it goes with this "12 years old means teen club" thing though.

 

 

It's all so personal.

 

with everything you've written here, i'm amazed you've been on 4 disney cruises...i have to wonder why you would spend extra money to go on something you dislike so much..

Edited December 16, 2016 by alaska_planner

[meatloafsfan]

 

Food is about equal for this family of vegetarians. Overall we end up just getting Indian food by special request in both lines. But Royal had sweet and sour soy nuggets which are good. Disney does have the potato celeriac gratin but they wouldn't give me two salads.

 

 

When was the last time you had that? When we sailed the Disney Magic last November it was not on the menu but was replaced with another vegetarian dish that was mushroom and something wrapped in phyllo dough (and it wasn't that good).

 

I loved the potato celeriac gratin - it was my absolute favourite dish on DCL but sadly, I think it's gone.

[meatloafsfan]

One thing that stood out, just as an example, was the way waiters at lunch treated guests. On Royal at TS lunch the waiters were just meh...definitely felt like since we're not tipping them - no need to smile. On DCL we were blown away by our waiters at lunch. Both the server and assistant were so nice, friendly and lovely! Our waiter was doing magic tricks for the little girl at the table next to ours, drawing a dolphin with the ketchup, it was so sweet, they were having a great time. DH and I were so impressed by the level of service, it felt special.

 

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I'm glad you had that experience - it's what we experienced on DCL back in 2010 and 2012. Unfortunately, it was not our experience in 2013 and 2015 - both trips the service in the MDR for breakfast and lunch was bare minimum and the food was lackluster. We've stopped going the dining room for lunch on DCL now but still love lunch in the dining room on other cruise lines.

Edited December 16, 2016 by meatloafsfan

[dpcmh]

I have done both, and I feel each have their strengths. When it comes to comparisons of lines, it's nails on a chalkboard for me when ships in different categories are compared. E.g. DCL Dream vs RCCL Enchantment. That's not apples to apples.

 

I prefer the food on Royal. I loved the global choices in the buffet. I enjoyed their main dinning room more - had set dinning. It felt more relaxed to me.

 

DCL wins for staterooms, but it's not worth the premium price for me.

 

We missed a Rainforest experience on Royal. Their counterpart is small and depressing.

 

The adult areas on both ships are wonderful....especially with the Dream's updates.

 

I think both are great experiences. I do not hold a DCL is the ultimate incomparable line. I do not believe that's true. I think cruise lovers should experience them both.

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

Here is our viewpoint from a slightly atypical cruising family. Maybe it will help another similar family that is looking at this from a different angle. As of right now we are 4 adults-my husband and I in our mid 40s, a 21 year old and an 18 year old. The 21 year old doesn't always cruise with us anymore.

 

We started cruising with the kids when they were very little and did Royal Caribbean for most of that. My kids never liked kids clubs of any sort. That was more their personality than RCI and it was 15 years ago when the kids clubs were not what they are now so I cannot compare. My youngest was 17 when we took our first Disney family cruise. So we sort of did it backwards for two major reasons: 1) We couldn't afford it when the kids were little and 2) my sons mobility needs were different. He walked as a younger child in addition to using a chair, was easier to lift on and off things, and didn't tire as easily. Now he is a full time 170 lb chair using adult that doesn't want to roll all over a huge ship.

 

We are NOT pool people, or zipliners, or rock climbers...both my sons just wants a basketball court. My older one will do all the RCI "extras" but doesn't "need" them to have a good cruise. Both of us will take a spin on the Aquaduck when the lines are small but all in all I am not comparing the "attractions" because they don't mean much to us. We can take them or leave them on either ship.

 

That said, good shows are important to us and my youngest son is a Disney fanatic. He loves the nightly shows on Disney and is not entertained by the RCI ones. He loves the Pirate night and fireworks and the ability to see a Disney movie at any time during the day. He even loves the characters all over the ship, even though we aren't into the photo ops. It's just fun for him to see Mickey walking around.

 

Castaway Cay is so wheelchair friendly. That is a very hard thing to find at any beach. We can go to Serenity Bay, hang out in the water and have a great day without any issues. While RCI has their "island" in Haiti there is zero comparison and we had a lot of access issues there even with renting an ADA Cabana.

 

Rotational Dining is fun and breaks up the monotony. However, I find RCI MDR to feel more relaxed. As with everything Disney, dinners run like clockwork and you definitely feel you are on a time table. I feel like on RCI you have more time to talk to your server, and we really enjoy that. Disney servers are very good at what they do but they are rushed, plain and simple. I honestly find the food comparable. Both have very good dishes and very few bad ones. Maybe we aren't super picky? We have always been happy on both.

 

The smaller ships are easier to get around when you have mobility issues. Comparing size on flagships between Fantasy and Allure? Forget about it....Allure is MASSIVE and feels like you walk a mile to get to everything. That very thing could be appealing to someone without mobility issues. When fully booked on either it still feels like the same amount of people are everywhere.

 

All that said, IF I was traveling just my husband and I would be on Celebrity or Royal but with my youngest son we are Disney converts. I, also, am not likely to book Disney for port intensive cruises. I think its perfect for the Caribbean or Bahamas. It's worth the extra money to me to know he is happy and has just the right entertainment for him. There seems to be that perfect balance for us of enough to do and time to read a book and watch the waves go by without feeling like we are missing something.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Wheeling TravelingMom

[sm3ds]

I'm glad you had that experience - it's what we experienced on DCL back in 2010 and 2012. Unfortunately, it was not our experience in 2013 and 2015 - both trips the service in the MDR for breakfast and lunch was bare minimum and the food was lackluster. We've stopped going the dining room for lunch on DCL now but still love lunch in the dining room on other cruise lines.

 

I've always disliked the food on DCL. I thought it was much better on the Carnival Vista. Food is so subjective though it's not something I take into consideration when looking at reviews. I read great reviews on DCL food and I'm like blah..what am I missing. The ship, stateroom, and common areas are whats important to me. Service is another thing that is subjective. We've had great service and just barely ok service on Disney, but again that is all subjective.

[Club Disney Chandler]

I've always disliked the food on DCL. I thought it was much better on the Carnival Vista. Food is so subjective though it's not something I take into consideration when looking at reviews. I read great reviews on DCL food and I'm like blah..what am I missing. The ship, stateroom, and common areas are whats important to me. Service is another thing that is subjective. We've had great service and just barely ok service on Disney, but again that is all subjective.

 

 

I loved most of the desserts on the Vista! The Bitter n Blanc was amazing, unfortunately I wasn't impressed with the chocolate melting cake. Did you get to try the homemade ice cream on the Lido at lunch? That stuff was awesome.

 

We definitely had better service on the Vista than we did on DCL Wonder. The Wonder was the worst service we've ever experienced on a ship, I was really disappointed. I really believe it's luck of the draw when it comes to service on any ship on any line.

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

I really believe it's luck of the draw when it comes to service on any ship on any line.

Forums

 

I totally concur. One of the reasons we perceive that we've had great service on DCL is that we learned who to request. We "lucked into" a few excellent people and requested them on repeated cruises. When they weren't available, we'd ask our favorite Palo server who we should request in the MDR (when we were lucky enough to see her on day 1) or talk to our favorite head server and go with his suggestion. This also resulted in some awesome recommendations and we added these people to our list of desirable servers. When those we knew were unavailable, we got some good, some "just ok" and some horrible on DCL and on other lines. We have found most of the DCL servers to be more personable and frankly more fun.

 

I fully agree that there is a wide range in both ability and personality and that you can get "great" or "also ran" on any line.

 

As much as I love seeing the great ones move up the ladder, that leaves me with fewer to request as my favorites either are promoted or leave the cruise industry.

Edited December 18, 2016 by moki'smommy

[sm3ds]

Yes we did try the homemade ice cream. It was delicious. We've always had the best service on the Wonder and the worst on the Magic. I think there's good and bad servers on every ship it's just the luck of the draw. I agree DCL servers are more personable, but they're also really concerned about the excellent rating and they remind you of it often. I didn't miss the excellent speech nor did I miss handing out those envelopes. It's always seems awkward to me to hand those out.

As far as cm's remembering us they do on DCL, but I'm sure if we cruised on the Vista multiple times in a year we might experience the same thing.

I would suggest to anyone that wants to do a European cruise to keep an eye out for itinerarys to be released on Carnivals Horizon. Our cruise was 1/4 the cost of DCL, and it was for us the best ship we've been on. I liked the layout and the flow of traffic much better then the Fantasy, but like many of you I prefer the smaller ships. I loved our cruise on the Wonder last month, but I'll definitely choose Carnival when we head back to Europe in 2018

[wandi25]

My family and I have sailed on DCL and Royal, in January we went on the Harmony of the Seas Royal's brand new ship and sailed in Star Class(the highest concierge class). It was in a word...awful. Our genie was horrible, inattentive, the ship was too big, the food was mediocre. The Spa was overpriced. Free Starbucks was nice but it wasn't enough to save the trip.

 

Our last DCL cruise was last February in a Royal Suite on the Wonder, omg it was night and day, the food, service, Concierge staff was amazing. I literally emailed my Disney Vaca Rep on our last night of the Royal Cruise telling her I was booking when we got home. Will I pay more for Disney YES! My kids 8 & 10 refuse to go back on Royal. My little crew has 3 DCL under our belts and we wouldn't go anywhere else.

 

Disney Magic October 2014 - Deluxe Family Room with Verandah

Disney Wonder Christmas 2015 - One Bedroom Concierge

Disney Wonder Valentine's Day 2016 - Royal Suite

Harmony of the Seas - January '17 Two Bedroom Aqua Theater Suite

Disney Magic April 2018! - One Bedroom Concierge

[sm3ds]

Your 8 and 10 year old refuse to go back on Royal concierge? You realize how obnoxious that sounds, Most kids would be happy to go on any cruise.

[Lita74]

We just got off of the Oasis last Sunday and we realized that we are truly a DCL family. I really cannot complain much about Royal, but it just wasn't for us.

 

We felt the good quality on the Oasis was not on Par with DCL. For example, there was no seafood at all in the Windjammer where you can get crab claw and various other seafood options in Cabanas. The MDR menus on the Oasis were boring to us. There were not many seafood options available in the MDR. Also, you had to pay extra for better cuts of meat. If you wanted Filet Mignon on the Oasis, there was an upcharge. It is a regular menu option on DCL I checked some recent DCL menus online to make sure that they haven't changed since we last sailed DCL.

 

In the staterooms, we felt that the bed quality was not that great on the Oasis. I travel regularly for work and the DCL beds were on par with a very nice hotel bed. I found the Oasis bed (Jr Suite) to be hard and not as comfortable. The extra touches in the DCL rooms make it feel like an upgraded experience (i.e. crown molding and other details). Also, the bath towels on DCL were nice and fluffy where we received thin and course towels on he Oasis.

 

Hands down, the kids clubs on DCL wins. My kids were 4 and 6 when they went on their first DCL trip and they did not get run over by the older kids. They liked that they had the option of free and play vs structured activities. My younger child is more of a free spirit, so the ability to have options is more important to her. When I took them to he Oasis kids clubs on the first day to look around, my younger child was literally in tears because she thought it looked to much like school or day camp and not vacation. I had them lol at YouTube videos before we left to set their expectations, but they obviously did not help. They eventually did go daily and enjoyed the clubs, but not to the extent as on DCL. The people and staff were friendly enough, but we really missed the Disney "magic."

[Cafedumonde]

My kids were up to 2am on election night skyping with kids on the east coast they had met on other cruises. They were half Trump and half Hillary and gee they are all still friends today. This was our 4th time on the wonder over the last year and I know the counselors and what their political views are. Funny thing is none of them are American. I've told my kids to talk about what they want as long as they are not insulting or using bad language. If Disney has a problem with that they can take it up with me.If kids can't discuss current events with a little discourse were going to end up with a gereration of idiots. What I've see from some of the college students it may be to late.

 

 

Wow. This is so disappointing to hear. But it doesn't surprise me. I agree that it is so important for people (and yes kids) to talk about different viewpoints. Otherwise we will never understand each other. Shutting down discussion is totalitarian. Whatever happened to the "celebrate diversity" mantra. Now I guess it's just shut and play video games where we don't have to deal with anything real at all.

[NancyIL]

Your 8 and 10 year old refuse to go back on Royal concierge? You realize how obnoxious that sounds, Most kids would be happy to go on any cruise.

 

 

Kids ought to be happy to go anywhere! Even my adult kids don't dictate where we vacation - unless they are paying. :rolleyes:

Edited March 3, 2017 by NancyIL

[moki'smommy]

Kids ought to be happy to go anywhere! Even my adult kids don't dictate where we vacation - unless they are paying. :rolleyes:

 

 

In all fairness, I do discuss plans with my adult daughter...but she who opens the checkbook rules!

[ma23peas]

I say this ALL the time! I would never sail DCL to Europe or Alaska. Those are port-intensive cruises and to me just a waste of money on Disney. We did an AMAZING Baltic cruise on the Serenade (I love her!) this summer. Had a balcony room for 13 nights for 3 of us for just over $7,000. That would probably be a $20,000+ cruise on Disney. And seriously we were in port so much we could have been on a tugboat and wouldn't have noticed! We didn't even eat in a dining room once (we were just exhausted when we got back to the ship at night).

 

Well, it 'can' happen...we sailed in May the first year Disney sailed in Mediterranean (Tunisia was still a port)..$999 per adult, kids sailed free..and they gave us $1600 in On board credit...so for 7 of us we were out of pocket $4,000 for a 10 night cruise..but had $1600 OBC...so all that for $2600...:)

 

That is why we MUST sail another ship this summer...always sailed off season, but with three in college...must stick to summer dates...so which ship would you take 18-21 year olds who don't drink or gamble? They honestly would love to sail Disney, but we can't afford 11k for 7 nighters...

please let me know which ones your kids loved! I need to book something this week...can sail out of anywhere..prefer to sail Caribbean. Thanks!!