Royal vs Disney

After completing my first Disney Cruise I can honestly say I am loyal to Royal. We traveled with a 4 year old on the Disney Wonder. The kids club was much bigger with more hours and there was a choice of 2 locations... Oceaneers lab and club. On the first day at sea the computer system went down and we had to wait 20 minutes in line to sign our son out. He did was not a huge fan of the club. He seemed to like Royals kids club a bit better. The entertainment was better than Royal. We loved pirates night and the fireworks. It was also nice to see the ship decorated for Halloween. We did not like the rotational dining and the food was not great. However, the service was great. DCL is great for kids but I found little to do with my husband. When we went to the adult only areas we found ourselves alone. We like to meet new people and found it hard to "schmooze". The ship (wonder) did not have any razzle dazzle. The pool areas were very small. On our last sea day one of the pools was shut down (apparently a kid pooped in the pool). Which caused the only family pool to be way overcrowded (crazy full). The adult only pool was totally empty (not 1 person) I don't know why they could not open it to all ages until the closed pool was reopened. Based on my Disney experience I think I will stick with Royal from now on.

My son (10 years old) absolutely loved Vision's kid club this time vs Disney's Dream. We did a back to back on those two so he was able to directly compare them. Of course, there were only 100 total minors on Vision, and probably more kids than that in the Club and Lab at any given moment, so the personal attention and fun they could provide on Vision was obviously at a higher level. :)

If you thought the pools on the Wonder were small do not try the Dream or the Fantasy, they are smaller for more people. The classics are better but the three different classes of Royal's ships I've been on so far have them beat by a landslide.

There are very few adults only spaces on Disney's ships. Those adults that do the paying to cruise with them would be very upset if one of the very few options was taken away, especially on a sea day. That's why they don't "just open up the other pool".

We do enjoy rotational dining but have found the food quality inconsistent at best recently.

Thanks for the comparison.

Disney is all about the kids ... don't believe a word of it! It's the adults who write the checks, and that's where the marketing efforts are targeted (and they're good at it ... it's why folks don't complain about waiting in line for hours in the middle of the summer at the theme parks). Seems like they sort of run a guilt trip on you.

Everything Disney is priced at a premium ... and the cruise line is no exception. Last time we checked, the difference was about 40% over a similar RC vacation. We had this insane idea to take the family (us, son, daughter-in-law and four grandkids) on a Disney cruise a couple of years ago, when the Magic sailed out of Galveston. After totaling things up, we concluded that the week would about equal the cost of a small car ... somewhere in the $15k range. Royal Caribbean came in at about $9k ... guess which one we booked. Did the kids miss Mickey? It's hard to tell, since they were having too good a time to discuss it.

Al

There are very few adults only spaces on Disney's ships. .

We've never cruised Disney and never will, but wouldn't that also apply to RCCL?

Been retired for over 12 years, no children, take a lot of cruises, tours, all inclusive resorts, etc. Last October we took a FOS cruise out of Port Canaveral and then walked over and boarded the Disney Dream for a 4 night cruise. This was our first Disney cruise and I was really impressed. I thought the kids were well behaved, food was much better than other cruise lines, the staff was always available to take pictures of guests with characters with your camera. Changing dining venues each night with our wait staff worked out great for us.

Seeing fireworks at night off of the ship was pretty cool. No perks for me, but I'm looking forward to taking another Disney cruise. Of course, YMMV.

We cruised the Disney Magic a few years ago out of NYC (no airfare for us!). Overall, we liked this cruise less than any of our RCCL cruises.

My kids don't like kids' clubs on any ship, so I won't compare those. On the Disney ship: the pool was the size of the pool in my backyard; the kiddie pool was closed at some point each day for cleaning (yuck!); limited options of activities/things to do if you aren't at the pool; no bells and whistles (i.e. rock climbing wall, ice skating, etc.).

Having said all that, the service on the Disney ship was better than any other RCCL we have sailed on (and we are just short of D+, so we have sailed on plenty). Several crew members went way above and beyond for us without us even asking them to. I also thought the food at dinner was better (not lunch though - the buffet place was very tiny).

Next summer we are giving Disney another try by sailing on the Dream. I'm expecting this experience to be better because this ship seems to be more on par with the newer RCCL ships. We shall see...

Taken numerous RCCL cruises and also been on Disney Magic and Disney Dream. Both are geared towards family and many of the cruiselines have aligned themselves with "Disney-like properties" to make themselves looks more appealing. It's no mistake Kung Fu Panda is walking around a RCCL ship. Or Nick characters on Norwegian.

For us as the kids get older, they much rather go to WDW or Disneyland to have that Disney experience rather than take a cruise on a Disney ship. To me, its hard to duplicate what they do in the parks.

In terms of a cruise, you are going to have fun on either line. Good to try them both and form an opinion. :)

We cruised the Disney Magic a few years ago out of NYC (no airfare for us!). Overall, we liked this cruise less than any of our RCCL cruises.

 

My kids don't like kids' clubs on any ship, so I won't compare those. On the Disney ship: the pool was the size of the pool in my backyard; the kiddie pool was closed at some point each day for cleaning (yuck!); limited options of activities/things to do if you aren't at the pool; no bells and whistles (i.e. rock climbing wall, ice skating, etc.).

 

Having said all that, the service on the Disney ship was better than any other RCCL we have sailed on (and we are just short of D+, so we have sailed on plenty). Several crew members went way above and beyond for us without us even asking them to. I also thought the food at dinner was better (not lunch though - the buffet place was very tiny).

 

Next summer we are giving Disney another try by sailing on the Dream. I'm expecting this experience to be better because this ship seems to be more on par with the newer RCCL ships. We shall see...

Thanks for your info. I also am a frequent cruiser with rccl and you are right on target with your points of rccl vs. Disney.

Next June we are taking our two granddaughters on their first RCCI cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. They have only been on one other cruise and that was on Disney, so I am curious what they will think of the FOS.

They are truly grateful to get be able to go but they only have Disney to compare it to so right now they can't imagine how this cruise can be "just as fun as Disney".

I have no doubt that once we get away from the dock (where we will be parked right next to the Disney ship...:o) we are going to have a wonderful time!!

Of course I know going in, the 13yr old is going to be more understanding than the 7 yr old for sure......LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've never cruised Disney and never will, but wouldn't that also apply to RCCL?

Not so. Each RC ship has a Solarium, open only to adults ... pool, hot tub, bar, food, overall tranquil environment. We enjoy it. On the other end of the activity spectrum, there are no casinos on Disney ships. I wouldn't worry, though ... between the higher fares and all the "schlock" in the shops (outrageously priced ... something about royalties), they're doing fine.

Been retired for over 12 years, no children, take a lot of cruises, tours, all inclusive resorts, etc. Last October we took a FOS cruise out of Port Canaveral and then walked over and boarded the Disney Dream for a 4 night cruise. This was our first Disney cruise and I was really impressed. I thought the kids were well behaved, food was much better than other cruise lines, the staff was always available to take pictures of guests with characters with your camera. Changing dining venues each night with our wait staff worked out great for us. Seeing fireworks at night off of the ship was pretty cool. No perks for me, but I'm looking forward to taking another Disney cruise. Of course, YMMV.

I'm sure the product is excellent ... just wondering what the price of a four-night Disney cruise would be, in comparison with one on Royal Caribbean. I know of families that spent a couple of years paying off their Disney cruise ... could have likely cruised twice with RC. But I guess that ye pays yer money and ye takes yer cherce.

... Each RC ship has a Solarium, open only to adults ... pool, hot tub, bar, food, overall tranquil environment...

Except for Majesty in Miami.:)

I'm sure the product is excellent ... just wondering what the price of a four-night Disney cruise would be, in comparison with one on Royal Caribbean. I know of families that spent a couple of years paying off their Disney cruise ... could have likely cruised twice with RC. But I guess that ye pays yer money and ye takes yer cherce.

Our travel agent booked our Disney Dream 4 night cruise and it was less than $1,200 total including gratuities for 2 in a balcony. Worth every penny!

After completing my first Disney Cruise I can honestly say I am loyal to Royal. We traveled with a 4 year old on the Disney Wonder. The kids club was much bigger with more hours and there was a choice of 2 locations... Oceaneers lab and club. On the first day at sea the computer system went down and we had to wait 20 minutes in line to sign our son out. He did was not a huge fan of the club. He seemed to like Royals kids club a bit better. The entertainment was better than Royal. We loved pirates night and the fireworks. It was also nice to see the ship decorated for Halloween. We did not like the rotational dining and the food was not great. However, the service was great. DCL is great for kids but I found little to do with my husband. When we went to the adult only areas we found ourselves alone. We like to meet new people and found it hard to "schmooze". The ship (wonder) did not have any razzle dazzle. The pool areas were very small. On our last sea day one of the pools was shut down (apparently a kid pooped in the pool). Which caused the only family pool to be way overcrowded (crazy full). The adult only pool was totally empty (not 1 person) I don't know why they could not open it to all ages until the closed pool was reopened. Based on my Disney experience I think I will stick with Royal from now on.

Out of 25+ cruises on Various lines our last Disney Cruise was the worst cruise we've taken by far. Service, Food quality ..the pits. Our kiddo asked for us to never do another DCL cruise again. Everyone in our travel party felt the same thing.

We've been a Disney family since we started vacationing. My husband and I went to Disney once a year after we were married. We enjoyed WDW many times before we had children. We became DVC members soon after and spent 4 wks each year at WDW and DVC resorts. After 10 yrs, we decided to branch out and spend some of that time on DCL cruises, Disneyland and Aulani.

After 6 DCL cruises, we are going on the Allure for the first time next March. We're so excited...especially our children. They love Disney, DCL kids clubs and everything else we do that's Disney. But they are looking forward to something that is not Disney-related...Until they realized, I booked several nights at a DVC resort...lol (sorry, can't help it, still love Disney)

So, although we loved all our DCL cruises, we are looking forward to experiencing what RCCL has to offer and because it's Allure, our kids are ecstatic about all the new things. However, I'm a bit nervous and still hesitant since it feels like venturing over unknown land. Believe it or not, going on a DCL cruise felt like home to us. It was comfortable. The service was wonderful and the food was good for the most part.

I will agree with a poster who mentioned that there is very little space for Adults-only. We've only cruised on the Dream and Fantasy, so my opinion is based on these ships (although we are booked to cruise on the Wonder to Alaska next summer). Also, the pools are very small especially for the ship that size, but we don't spend all our time there. The kids have their respective clubs which they enjoy and my husband and I do have time alone, which we usually spend relaxing at the very comfortable lounges at the Adults only area and, more often than not, usually end up having a snooze.

I hope I have the same experience on the Allure. I am not going to compare them during the cruise since I feel that the experience is very different, but I'm just hoping I enjoy it just as much as my DCL cruises, likely for different reasons.

In the meantime, I am researching here and other places to get all the info I can get. I really appreciate all the reviews and comparisons ---most are so entertaining!

We traveled with three kids. It was nice to have the shows in the main theater kid friendly. Also, they enjoyed the Disney movies in the dedicated theater. Our 3 year old did not like the kids club and never returned to it. The 12 year old had a great time with her age group and looked forward to the activities. The baby was happy to go to Flounders.

At the prices they command, I will never do a Disney cruise.

Never understood all the excessive Disney fascination everyone else sees.

I was 31 the only time I went to Disneyworld.

And have no intention on going anytime soon.

We are more "Universal Studios" people any day.

Although their ships look pretty nice....

I'm glad to hear such high opinions of Royal (of course this is a Royal forum :D) since we will be trying the Allure and Royal for the first time in 2016 after sailing with Disney for the last 3 years.

We love sailing DCL and like another poster mentioned, it is like being home but we had less than stellar service on the Disney Magic this past April and we have since cancelled our 2 other planned DCL cruises. My kids do not enjoy the clubs on DCL and I don't expect they will enjoy them on Royal but I do hope they will enjoy the rock climbing wall, zip-lining, flow rider, etc. on Royal like they have enjoyed the Aqua Duck and Aqua Dunk on DCL. They are no longer interested in the character meet and greets or the "See Ya Real Soon" party but do enjoy cruising so I'm hoping Royal will be a good fit for us.

As a PP mentioned, adult activity on DCL is kind of limited unless you want to simply lay by the pool all day. We have enjoyed mixology classes and there are some trivia games at night but the clubs are pretty much dead after 10 p.m. I am not a lay by the pool all day kind of girl and honestly I got a little bored when DH and I sailed sans kids in 2013 on the Disney Dream. I wanted to take part in some activities during the sea day but there was not much to do after our mixology class. Disney does offer a great product and I'm sure we will sail DCL again but for now we are taking a break from them and from cruising all together in 2015.

I would definitely recommend the Fantasy over the other ships (Dream is similar but no 7 day cruises). The Fantasy has a great (big) splash area and lots to offer kids. The entertainment, the kids clubs, shows in dining room (AP), the characters, etc. are so much fun for my daughter. (She turned 3 on her first Disney cruise, was 4 1/2 on her second, will be 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 on her next two). She loves to get dressed up in her princess dresses to meet all the princesses.

Disney does a great job of seating like-families together for dinner. Last cruise there were twin girls the same age as my daughter. I think you definitely have to like Disney to go on a Disney cruise. Depending on the ship and time of year, prices will either be similar to other lines or outrageously insane. We're doing a 4 night in 2016 (President's week) for $1,500+ for 3 of us. Very affordable. I priced the Easter week 2016 cruise for the 3 of us and prices started at about $5,500 and went to $33,000!! And there are plenty of people paying those suite prices.

We are all so busy and rushed during the year that we choose to vacation as a family. We go to the shows or the movie theater, do family activities and just have fun. A day playing on Disney's Castaway Cay is really nice too.

We've never had bad service from anyone on a Disney cruise and the crew are genuinely nice. There is something almost intangible about a Disney cruise and there are little touches that are just so nice. There will come a time when my daughter outgrows the princesses and that is fine. She's already been on Princess, NCL, and Carnival as well. We'll definitely go back to NCL and try some RCCI ships. I've been wanting to try the Oasis/Allure but now that we're vacationing around a school calendar I'm really nervous about cruising on one of those mega ships during the summer or holidays. Too many people, I think.

We've never cruised Disney and never will, but wouldn't that also apply to RCCL?

A very large percentage of Royal sailings do not have anywhere near the child load that Disney does. Disney NEEDS those adults only spaces. Unless you're on a Florida departure, during school break times there are ways around it on Royal. Larger fleet with more diverse options.

Each Royal adult pool area that I've been to has been much larger and had much more capacity than any of Disney's four ships.

Next June we are taking our two granddaughters on their first RCCI cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. They have only been on one other cruise and that was on Disney, so I am curious what they will think of the FOS.

 

They are truly grateful to get be able to go but they only have Disney to compare it to so right now they can't imagine how this cruise can be "just as fun as Disney".

 

I have no doubt that once we get away from the dock (where we will be parked right next to the Disney ship...:o) we are going to have a wonderful time!!

 

Of course I know going in, the 13yr old is going to be more understanding than the 7 yr old for sure......LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We just went on our first royal cruise last week after only doing disney. My kids are 7, 11 & 15. They all loved Royal. I felt that there were some things Royal did better and some things DCL did better, but for the price Royal is better value.

My kids all enjoyed Royals kids clubs and they loved having the larger pools and splash zone areas that freedom has.

I have no doubt your grandkids will have a wonderful time!

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Lack of a casino is a deal breaker. :eek:

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Lack of a casino is a deal breaker. :eek:

 

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For some perhaps, but for us the lack of a casino was a selling point.

For some perhaps, but for us the lack of a casino was a selling point.

We really don't miss the casino on DCL. If we were cruising without our daughter we might miss it but not a must-have for us.

We really don't miss the casino on DCL. If we were cruising without our daughter we might miss it but not a must-have for us.

I am bored to death in a Casino.