Past Disney cruisers want to try another line .. but which one?

I am clearly going to ask a question that may garner a lot of different opinions. My wife and I have been on four DCL cruises on four different itineraries, and once on all four ships. We do not have children nor are we huge Disney fans. We liked our past cruises for a number of reasons: cleanliness, attentiveness of staff (on the older ships), adults-only areas, good food, and good shows. And we especially enjoy the stop at the private island with the adults only beach, and great food there to boot.

We thought about booking another DCL cruise this fall, but we're hesitating because of a number of factors. All the itineraries are pretty much the same and we want to see something different, price has become a huge factor, and frankly, service on the Dream and Fantasy in our opinion is simply not as good as the smaller ships Magic and Wonder and does not consistently meet Disney's standards especially for the price we pay for it.

I usually do all the cruise bookings myself. One thing I like about Disney is that main dining, soft drinks, water, coffee, and most of the eating areas are all included. Only a few of the high end eating experiences on the ships are extra (and we've done those from time to time). It's kind of easy to understand what you get for what you pay. What we want most from a cruise is: 1) great food and clean eating areas 2) fun adult activities and shows 3) relaxation/spa 4) private island element or something close to it 5) reasonable cost. We do not rate our cruises on quality of excursions (which we generally consider tourist traps) or shopping but rather the variety of ports of call.

We have done a lot of reading and research and we're leaning toward a RCCL or Celebrity cruise to branch out a little - although we do love the Caribbean and want to limit our scope there for now. Would anyone who's tried both DCL and one of these two lines like to offer their opinion and preference? If possible, I'd also like to understand the "nickel and diming" aspects of DCL as compared to other lines as well, what's included generally and what isn't. On past cruises, we talk to a lot of people in casual conversation. Everyone we've asked - 100% - who has cruised another line says DCL is the best. But I'm not sure that's true any longer and recent DCL reviews seems to be catching up to that hype. They are not as stellar as they once were.

Anyway, sorry for the long message, thought I'd better be detailed about our experiences and what I'm looking for so I could get relevant responses. Thanks in advance for your opinions.

With the caveat I have not sailed on Disney: if "nickel and diming" is a concern you should look elsewhere than the corporate siblings of RCI and X which seem to have a common program of aggressive promotion. Yes I know that while other lines (such as NCL) feature more upcharge "opportunities" I have not seen as much pushiness anywhere else.

On my one X cruise (Infinity to South America) in the $40/pp Specialty Restaurant the Maitre d' came over to our table in between Every. Single. Course. to try and sell us a cookbook, the wine pairing dinner, or an additional reservation to that restaurant. Waiting the the theater for ship's tour dispatch each morning was also treated as a selling opportunity, one morning the staff of the spa made a continuous "special presentation" of their services.

On two RCI cruises I saw way more soliciting of use of the extra gratuity space on bar chits and elsewhere than on any other ship. Items at the coffee bar and ice cream stand that are free on other lines carry a charge. And then there is the presence of upcharge items on the daily MDR menus; yes easily ignored but still a symptom of the culture onboard.

As for Private Islands, Princess' Princess Cays and HAL's Half Moon Cay both trump RCI's CocoCay by a wide margin. Food was dreadful and the vast majority of picnic tables are out in the sun.

If you feel that service is better on smaller ships HAL is likely the place to start. Princess' newest ships (Royal and Regal Princess) may seem to large--though they do have great thermal suites in their spas--but the next smaller class (such as Crown or Caribbean Princess) is just as accomodating.

But as your bottom line statement is "price has become a huge factor" you are seemingly at a crossroads. Pretty much all other mainstream lines will be a step down from Disney--but lower enough in cost as to constitute an adequate value for what you actually spend, even when considering your onboard purchases would be a bit higher.

Most of the other elements besides price that you express concern over would require your moving up to a premium line to satisfy--but if unwilling to remove cost from the equation you may be better off just sticking with what you know and giving Disney one more opportunity to impress you as they did in the past. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Between your three choices, I'd go with Celebrity. It's more upscale than Royal Caribbean and doesn't attract as many children. Princess and Holland America are also possibilities. Or step up a bit and go with Azamara.

Oceania. Do the math for bottom line cost (e.g., Oceania includes airfare or air credit and much more that would cost extra on a mainstream line. In addition, food, service, cabin amenities are far superior to Disney.

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For the comparable price of a DCL cruise I highly recommend you look into MSC's Yacht Club. This is an exclusive area of the ship with dedicated lounge, pool deck, restaurant, butler service, and all inclusive top line alcohol/beverage package. Utter relaxation and exemplary service with access to all the amenities of a large cruise ship. Had a chance to compare lines this year with first time cruises on both the Dream and MSC's Divina. While they were both terrific, the DIvina offered so much more for less money. Currently the Divina and the brand-new Seaside are sailing out of Miami if you're looking to stay in the Caribbean. Lots of other ships and destinations to explore around the world if expanding your horizons. MSC is an Italian line with international flair and passengers but had the best cruise ever onboard last month.

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in with opinions. I should have included in my original message that we were also considering Oceania. We have stayed in contact with a couple from Canada who we met on our second DCL cruise who was in our dining group. They were hardcore DCL fans and cruise 3-4 times a year, but have now mostly switched over to Oceania.

I also wanted to clarify one thing in my original post as well. When I said "price has become a huge factor" I didn't mean that I was looking for a cheap bargain. I have always believed you get what you pay for. But DCL's pricing has jumped over 30% since we started cruising with them in 2009 - for nearly the exact same itineraries. DCL's pricing has reached the point where we're interested in seeing what's available for the same or less $$. We're willing to pay appropriately for a nice relaxing cruise, but what we're not willing to do is pay 30% more for services that aren't 30% better than the competition.

I think you would enjoy Celebrity. Also, remember when looking at RC there is a tremendous difference in their fleet of ships. The mega ships - Oasis Class - have a lot to offer in terms of entertainment. Each class of ships is very different. Many of their ships are so much larger with more to offer than Disney. If you don't want a mega ship, go down in size to the Freedom/Independence size, or Voyageur size. You would still have the ice shows and excellent entertainment. Smaller still - Radiance/Vision - lots of glass; more like an old-fashioned cruise ship. Each of the classes has its own personality and amenities that people like.

We moved over to Holland America after trying Royal Caribbean several times as well as Princess and Carnival. We are very happy with it and have already booked our third cruise for 2019. Yes, we have a RCCL cruise booked for this December but HAL has exceeded our expectations. Happy Travels wherever you go next.

It's really difficult to make a recommendation without knowing more about the OP. But from one who has cruised on 14 different cruise lines (and enjoyed every cruise) my suggestion is to not get too caught up in the comparison game. What we have discovered is that every cruise line (and each ship within a cruise line) has their own personality, pros and cons. The other shocker (tongue in cheek) is that the cruise lines are constantly changing and darn near reinventing themselves. The RCCL (now RCI) that we used to love 25 years ago in now a line we tend to avoid...because RCI totally changed their product (some would say for the better and others would say the opposite). It is the same with Celebrity which has been cutting-back on lots of little things over the past 4 years.

As to Oceania, we have yet to be lured to this line (but one of Oceania's reps has sure tried to get us to book) for a few reasons. Most of their itineraries we wanted to do were using their older R-Ships. Although we have always enjoyed the R vessels, we do not think Oceania can justify their prices for those older vessels that have relatively small cabins (especially when compared to other luxury line of even the newer Oceania ships). The reference somebody made to MSC was specific to their "Yacht Club" which is essentially as ship within a ship. This might be a good option if the OP can get a decent price (MSC charges top dollar for most Yacht Club cabins). A line not mentioned and worthy of consideration would be Viking Ocean Cruises who have very attractive new ships and an interesting concept that includes shore excursions and other amenities not normally included by other lines.

If money is not an issue the OP might want to consider an ultra luxury line such as Seabourn, Silverseas. Regent or Crystal.

Hank

My recommendation is that you sail MSC in the Yacht Club for all the reasons mentioned by Carrie AP. Even the mini bar is included in the Yacht Club and you get butler service and entrance to the thermal suite. In the lounge they have a buffet of snacks that is replenished every 3 hours. It's just a fabulous experience in every way. The entertainment is heavy on music and they have some real talent onboard with Broadway caliber dancers perfectly matched and in sync and 5 outstanding lead singers. They do a different show every single night. It's really impressive and I can honestly say these are some of the best shows I've seen at sea! I did a fake booking on the MSC Seaside in the Yacht Club and it came out to $3800 total for 2 people in the Yacht Club - which is very inexpensive compared to suites on other ships

The next closest option would be NCL in The Haven. To me, NCL's newer ships feel a lot like the Aria Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas combined with a waterpark. They have Cirque du Soliel shows on some ships but charge extra to see them and you need to make reservations in advance for all specialty dining and NCL is ALL about specialty dining. The Haven restaurant is great for breakfast and lunch and we eat dinner in there as well as it is included for suite guests. The best bargain on NCL is The Haven Spa Suites which gives you all the perks of The Haven plus entry into the Spa for the duration of the cruise.

RCCL is good, and on some ships there is a special restaurant and lounge for suite guests but nothing like The Haven or Yacht Club so far. RCCL's Oasis class and newer ships have spectacular shows and lots of specialty dining. These ships feel like staying in a huge theme park to me. I really enjoy the shows and specialty restaurants but I don't always want a ship that feels like a theme park so for me I have to be in the mood for these ships but they are very enjoyable with so much to do onboard that you cannot do it all in a week. When we got off Oasis after the first time, we looked at each other and said "Let's do that again!" I have not been in RCCL's main dining room on these ships as we prefer the specialty restaurants. We especially enjoy Izumi and Vintages (tapas and wine) and Giovanni's Table and 150 Central Park. On my last RCCL cruise on Allure, I did not like the food in the buffet so we ordered suite room service everyday for breakfast and ate out on our huge Owner's Suite balcony or went down to Cafe Promenade for sandwiches or the Park Cafe for a roast beef sandwich or salad because I could not find anything I wanted in the buffet at all.

Celebrity ships are lovely but are known for poor entertainment options. The food however is known to be quite good. I am looking forward to their new ship Celebrity Edge this year. I especially like sailing on Celebrity in the Med where I'm so tired from touring all day I just want dinner and bed. These ships are a peaceful respite.

It's really difficult to make a recommendation without knowing more about the OP. But from one who has cruised on 14 different cruise lines (and enjoyed every cruise) my suggestion is to not get too caught up in the comparison game. What we have discovered is that every cruise line (and each ship within a cruise line) has their own personality, pros and cons. The other shocker (tongue in cheek) is that the cruise lines are constantly changing and darn near reinventing themselves. The RCCL (now RCI) that we used to love 25 years ago in now a line we tend to avoid...because RCI totally changed their product (some would say for the better and others would say the opposite). It is the same with Celebrity which has been cutting-back on lots of little things over the past 4 years.

 

 

 

As to Oceania, we have yet to be lured to this line (but one of Oceania's reps has sure tried to get us to book) for a few reasons. Most of their itineraries we wanted to do were using their older R-Ships. Although we have always enjoyed the R vessels, we do not think Oceania can justify their prices for those older vessels that have relatively small cabins (especially when compared to other luxury line of even the newer Oceania ships). The reference somebody made to MSC was specific to their "Yacht Club" which is essentially as ship within a ship. This might be a good option if the OP can get a decent price (MSC charges top dollar for most Yacht Club cabins). A line not mentioned and worthy of consideration would be Viking Ocean Cruises who have very attractive new ships and an interesting concept that includes shore excursions and other amenities not normally included by other lines.

 

 

 

If money is not an issue the OP might want to consider an ultra luxury line such as Seabourn, Silverseas. Regent or Crystal.

 

 

 

Hank

Your concern about the square footage of R ship cabins (which would apply to Azamara as well as Oceania), is noted. Certainly, you are not alone on CC when it comes to wanting "space."

Nonetheless, as a lifelong yachtsman and mariner, I always chuckle when someone suggests that an R ship cabin is not big enough. Try chartering a 60 foot cat and see how inventive one needs to be to take a shower.

In any case, as regards Oceania cabins, what you're paying for are the amenities including exceptionally comfortable mattresses, high thread count linens, first class toiletries, and accommodating stewards who will keep your fridge stocked with complimentary Pellegrino water (if that's your preference). BTW, the B and A cabins (basic balcony offerings) are well laid out with enough space and storage to accommodate its inhabitants for even a month or more. The one possible "shortcoming" is the size of the head, which can be a bit challenging for individuals who are "large."

And, as I have mentioned often on CC (including showing bona fide comparable figures), there are many Oceania itineraries where the "bottom line" for all expenditures (e.g., airfare or air credit) is about the same as it is for wannabes like Celebrity, HAL and Princess. And yet the difference in quality and service is so significant (particularly when it comes to the food) that we long ago eschewed those (and other) mass market lines (though we will "bite the bullet" and cruise on Disney when our grandkid is old enough to truly enjoy it).

Where I definitely agree with you is that each ship has its own personality to which I will add that each cruise line has particular appeal for an easy to identify demographic. On Oceania, it is often he case that more than 70-75% of the passengers on any given itinerary are repeat customers. And, while the total population aboard may be very diverse (including some generally well behaved children), one thing I have noticed across numerous conversations or experiences with fellow passengers is that the general demographic includes very well-traveled, courteous, cosmopolitan folks who have worked hard for their money and are often well-educated (whether it be book learning and/or street smarts) with a fund of interesting lifetime experiences to discuss at dinner or over drinks.

As to the "ship within a ship" concept, why bother? Once you walk out of the Haven or Yacht Club, you're still often in the middle of an apartment complex in the middle of a floating amusement park. And the price for that "premium" will often easily exceed the cost of any premium cruise line.

Perhaps someday we will be seated at the same table in one of Oceania's Toscana specialty restaurants enjoying Aragosta Fra Diavola enjoying that 95 point Sauvignon Blanc brought aboard after touring the Marlborough wine region of New Zealand. Maybe Marina or Riviera where you can get a B3 cabin with an extended balcony.

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Thanks to everyone who has chimed in with opinions. I should have included in my original message that we were also considering Oceania. We have stayed in contact with a couple from Canada who we met on our second DCL cruise who was in our dining group. They were hardcore DCL fans and cruise 3-4 times a year, but have now mostly switched over to Oceania.

 

I also wanted to clarify one thing in my original post as well. When I said "price has become a huge factor" I didn't mean that I was looking for a cheap bargain. I have always believed you get what you pay for. But DCL's pricing has jumped over 30% since we started cruising with them in 2009 - for nearly the exact same itineraries. DCL's pricing has reached the point where we're interested in seeing what's available for the same or less $$. We're willing to pay appropriately for a nice relaxing cruise, but what we're not willing to do is pay 30% more for services that aren't 30% better than the competition.

Crystal might be a good fit for you. When I was evaluating Alaska cruise choices, they were less than DCL - lower fare, not even taking into account that they are all inclusive (e.g. no gratuity charges and beverages including a wide selection of alcohol). The food and service are great and we enjoyed the shows.

You also might try Windstar. The whole ship is relaxing and uncrowded. These are small (150 to 300 passenger) ships that can go into ports the big ones can't access. Wonderful food and, IMO, even better service than Crystal. On our Med cruise, they shopped for wine, fresh fish and cheeses in each port - each night there was a fresh local fish entree choice. The on-board entertainment is just a duo in one or two of the evening venues - as a smaller ship they don't have shows, so you wouldn't get that. They have an on-deck BBQ one night of each cruise and bring on local entertainment for that (flamenco show on our Lisbon to Barcelona cruise, steel band in the Caribbean). Caribbean itineraries have a beach BBQ day.

Windstar isn't all inclusive, but one doesn't feel nickeled and dimed either. Non-alcoholic beverages including specialty coffees are included and drink prices are reasonable.

After looking at all of the suggested options, we decided on a RCI Allure cruise in September. That one met our length and timeline requirements. Thanks for all the comments, I'm sure we'll have a blast.

After looking at all of the suggested options, we decided on a RCI Allure cruise in September. That one met our length and timeline requirements. Thanks for all the comments, I'm sure we'll have a blast.

Allure is a great ship and a phenomenal cruise experience. It's really only something that, only those who have actually been on board that ship, can actually understand how great it really is. The entertainment is the best at sea and the ship itself is amazing.

Enjoy your cruise. Coming from Disney, I think you made the perfect choice.

Allure is a great ship and a phenomenal cruise experience. It's really only something that, only those who have actually been on board that ship, can actually understand how great it really is. The entertainment is the best at sea and the ship itself is amazing.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Coming from Disney, I think you made the perfect choice.

We're already very much looking forward to it. I was able to book a junior suite with a $200 onboard credit and gratuities included for about $800 less than a standard DCL stateroom with a verandah, and with over 100 sq ft. more space. DCL pricing just no longer makes any sense especially since we don't have kids. Now if we could just figure out how to get our border collies on board......

We have done 12 DCL cruises and starting branch off due to DCLs increasing cost. We have enjoyed MSC, Princess and NCL. Princess is the most like Disney service wise and entertainment wise. MSC and NCL are great options as well.