Disney Dream v. Oasis / Allure

Just returned from a quick 4 niter on the brand new Disney Dream, and I thought I'd do a quick comparison to RCI's newest ships, Oasis & Allure.

First, I acknowledge such a comparison is a little apples n oranges given the sheer differences in the vessels; however, they are new ships that have received much fanfare, you have to pay a premium to sail them, they both vie for families, and there have been some posts here asking for details on how the Dream stacks up.

Second, here's a little about me, so you get where I'm coming from: no kids; I've been on 3 Disney cruises prior to the Dream (all Wonder) and really enjoyed them; and the cruise is more important to me than all the Disney stuff (don't give a darn about Mickey, Walt and the characters...). I'm about 30 days away from Pinnacle on RCI.

While I didn't expect Dream to be perfect given that it's a new ship, I did expect a top notch experience, given 1) it's Disney; and 2) I'm paying a premium to sail on her compared to comparable cruises. Having seen RCI execute flawlessly on recent Oasis and Allure inaugural cruises, I'm not willing to cut Disney slack and give them a "do over" on my dime.

Specifics:

+ EMBARKATION. We arrived around 1045am by rental car shuttle. You end up in 2 staging areas / lines. The first occurs outside the terminal to pass though the gate. There's a 'security" check where someone looks at your picture ID and ensures you're on the manifest. I have no problem with this; it's just executed poorly. There's very little staff explaining what's going on or why you're waiting in line, the fact that there are actually 2 lines, and you have to dodge the poor porters who are trying to shuttle luggage in the same area. Wait time was approx 20 min for something that could have gone a lot faster. Fortunately, the weather was pleasant; not sure what Disney's plan is it's raining or roasting.

Then you enter the terminal and go through security. This line looks worse than it is. Spent about 15 minutes here.

The last line is for actual check in, and that went fast.

Boarding started around 12noon. The biggest problem is the terminal is way too small for the crowd. The terminal was packed with people. There's insufficient seating; people are crammed in everywhere. We were assigned Boarding # 14 and finally got on around 1245.

WINNER: Oasis / Allure. With the huge new terminal at Port Everglades, embarkation is quick, easy and painless.

+ Stateroom. Had on OV on Deck 2 port side in a mid - forward location.

Good Points:

> Location was AWESOME. Very convenient to forward elevators, dining areas, theatres / bars.

> The room is a good size, especially when compared to rooms on new ships like Oasis and Allure. Tons of storage.

> Still love the separated bathroom.

> Really like the convenience of the new entry method (swipe your card rather than insert it in the door).

> I like getting regular ESPN on the TV.

> AC was excellent.

Bad Points:

> THE STATEROOM BEDS CAN'T BE SEPARATED!!!!!!!! Never seen this before anywhere. I was traveling with a friend and fully expected the larger bed to be separated in 2, just like on every other cruise ship on every other cruise line. Not on the Dream. The beds don't separate. Instead, the options are 1) use the pull out sofa or the pullman bed from the ceiling, neither of which I was interested in.

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was to me, as I'm 6'3 (tall, not fat) and just can't curl up anywhere, plus getting a decent night's sleep on vacation is important to me. Once I got over being stunned by the news, we worked with the stateroom attendant and came up with a workable solution; however, Disney needs to disclose this fact much more proactively, just like they note connecting cabins for example.

> The Interactive TV could be improved. You can only view charges on one account, and even then, it doesn't always work due to "system glitches." It's also not very functional, as you can't book excursions or dining reservations.

WINNER: Disney gets the nod for the overall cabin (with the exception of the non-splitting beds) given its size and tons of storage space.

+ Dining. Probably my biggest complaint. The food is the worst I've experienced in almost 100 cruises on 7 lines - both in terms of quality and selection.

> Breakfast: The buffet setup in Cabanas & Enchanted Garden is inefficient and flawed from the start. First, Disney insists on seating everyone who comes in (not sure why), causing a line. Second, the food is staged in a single serving line, rather than separated islands / stations (like RCI does). The stations are awkwardly positioned and hard to extract food from. For some unknown reason, Disney also chooses to have someone dole out fruit and pastries at breakfast, rather than making them self-service. Not sure if it's because these items are more pricey, or they are too tempting for kids, but whatever the reason is, it leads to yet more lines in rooms that are entirely too small for what they are designed to do. Worst of all, the food is basically inedible - soaked in grease and luke warm if you're lucky. Bread would be toasted on one side and fresh out of the bag on the other. Peanut butter was non-existent and only available upon request, and then only if someone happened to know where it was stashed.

> Lunch. Given the low quality of the breakfast buffet, we had sit-down lunch in the Royal Palace. The service was good and the food quality slightly better.

> Dinner. Probably the biggest disappointment. The service from our wait staff was awesome (very friendly and efficient), but the food was anything but. I found the selection to be limited compared to other cruise lines, the offerings often were lukewarm to downright cold, over-salted, soaked in butter / oil and just generally of poor quality. Food has never been Disney's strong point, but it seems like cost cutting has further eroded the experience.

> Snacks. The fast food fare at Eye Scream, Luigi's Pizza and similar stations (burgers, chicken fingers, etc) was of similar low quality, but I understand Disney is just trying to keep the bellies of the little kids full.

> Palo. This was the only bright spot. Palo lived up to it's billing and exceeded expectations. Loved the food and I was surprised the charge is still only $20pp. Best specialty restaurant at sea, IMO.

> Notes. In general, if you're looking for lighter, healthier fare - forget it. Really hard to find, as is food in general in the evening. Room Service is basically the only option. Animator's Palate - While the new room is very nice and well done, and the Finding Nemo aquarium theme is cute, I just prefer the "old" color-changing version on Magic and Wonder.

WINNER: Oasis / Allure. While RCI's food may not be perfect, the quality is good, the variety is great, options abound, and I can get peanut butter myself =).

+ Entertainment. This used to be the great strength of Disney. While it's still very good, RCI has closed the gap with Oasis and Allure.

> "Golden Mickeys." LOVE this show. The updates are small and consistent with the older version

> "Villains Tonight." With such a rich history and great characters to exploit, I thought this show would be a home run. Instead, it's tedious and the story is all over the place. Pain and Panic are just friggin annoying.

> Comedian / Juggler Dude. Not bad. Seen better, seen worse.

> "Believe." It's okay. Just not as good as the Wonder / Magic tear-jerker (I forget the name).

> Pirate Night Fireworks. LOVE this. Great show.

> Movies. While I didn't care for the movies being shown ("Tron," "Tangled," "I am Number Four,"), I appreciate how Disney shows their current flicks, and the Buena Vista Theatre is big and comfortable with stellar sound.

WINNER: Tie. It boils down to personal preference. RCI may not have the tradition of Disney, but they have made huge strides with the entertainment on Oasis / Allure and the variety of options is great.

+ The Ship. Overall, the Dream is nice. Very much like Wonder and Magic, with the classic nautical theme.

> Crowds. Dream doesn't handle crowds well. I felt more crowded on Dream than I ever did on Allure with close to 6000 people.

> Elevators. Forget trying to use the mid-ship elevators - just way too busy. Forward elevators are generally easy to catch. Otherwise the stairs work great!

> Gym. Kinda small, but decent enough, especially on a kid-oriented ship.

> Deck 4 Promenade / Running Track. Worked better than I anticipated, as it's wide enough for people to run and accommodate other traffic.

> Thermal Suite / Rainforest. Very nice. One of the best at sea. Nice variety of "specialty" showers, steamrooms / sauna. whirlpools, and heated tile lounge chairs, all with an awesome view. However, the spa staff needs to enforce access a little better, as it's not uncommon for people who haven't paid to wander in and use the place.

> Pink (Champagne Bar). Overrated. It's a pale closet with pricey champagne.

> Aqua Duck. Loved it. Lots of fun. Well done.

> Pools. Entirely too small.

> Quiet Adult Pool Area. Not quite as good as on Wonder and Magic, where you can really insulate yourself from all the kids if you want. This seems harder to do on Dream, especially with the Fast Food / Ice Cream stand being right on the "border" of the adult pool area, pulling the kids in like a magnet.

WINNER: RCI. No one designs and build better ships than RCI, and Oasis / Allure are unparalleled in the amenities offered with an effective use of space. The neighborhood concept is so effective at diffusing crowds.

+ Service. In general, service was very good, especially with the dining room wait staff. Guest Relations tried to help when problems were presented and genuinely seemed to care. There did seem to be a lot of people in training, identifiable by their "Earning My Ears" ribbon their name tag.

WINNER: Tie, with maybe a slight edge to Disney.

So in short, if you like a little cruising with your Disney, then the Dream may be for you. However, if the cruise experience matters, think twice - there are too many other options (better options, IMO) out there for the same price (or less) than the premiums Disney is charging to sail on the Dream.

thamks i often wondered and you have helped as imo i think disney is over prices. so i guess i stay where i am, thanks again

Great job, Patrick! Enjoyable and leaves me with a good feel for the differences. Thanks! ~ Lorna

Thank you.:) This is just what I wanted. Last night I grabbed the DCL video they sent me and I was very disappointed in the Dream presentation on the video. We have decided to cruise the Allure but I wanted to see what the new Disney Dream compared to Allure/Oasis. Thank you for this detailed comparison and I feel much better in choosing the RCCL Allure over Disney Dream. Now all I have to do is pick a date.

 

 

+ Dining. Probably my biggest complaint. The food is the worst I've experienced in almost 100 cruises on 7 lines - both in terms of quality and selection.

 

 

Not fair to compare the two ships. Nothing compares to the Oasis class. Listen, I know you are a long time cruiser,usually I agree with you, but to say the food on RCCL is better than Dream, dude....please..... I just got off the Dream and the food was the best I have had PERIOD, that goes for any line, hands down. Now either I just got lucky,(doubt it, been on the Wonder 2X before) or you were not so lucky. As far as checkin goes...the Disney terminal I agree is pure chaos, a real head thumper on why they do not have this down pat. Maybe that terminal is way too small....hard to believe as they had ample time to improve it before the Dreams arrival.

Not fair to compare the two ships. Nothing compares to the Oasis class.

I addressed this at the beginning of my comparison. I agree the ships don't compare, but I think there are people faced with the choice of Dream v. Oasis / Allure, and maybe that's where this comparison helps.

Listen, I know you are a long time cruiser,usually I agree with you, but to say the food on RCCL is better than Dream, dude....please..... I just got off the Dream and the food was the best I have had PERIOD, that goes for any line, hands down.

"Dude" - glad you had a good experience. Mine was the exact opposite. One does not negate the other. If you look at the reviews, I'm not the only one complaining about the food. But food is subjective so what works for one person may not work for another.

GMoney, thank you for your honest opinion. Reading your review has made me happy that I am taking my kids and grandkids on Royal Caribbean, verses Disney. I feel a lot better about my decision.

Great review Patrick and thanks for posting. This review just goes to show that two people can have a totally different view of a cruise. The example here is food. You found it to be below your expectations and one poster found the opposite. This is the main reason why anyone reading a review should take it as nothing more than one persons opinion. Doesn't make it right or wrong.

I haven't been on a Disney cruise. The ships look great but they don't interest me but my sister took a cruise a few years back on the Wonder and her biggest complaint was the food.

I addressed this at the beginning of my comparison. I agree the ships don't compare, but I think there are people faced with the choice of Dream v. Oasis / Allure, and maybe that's where this comparison helps.

 

 

"Dude" - glad you had a good experience.

Thanks!!! and my retort to the former..... I don't know who these people are whom you speak of who have this gut wrenching decision but maybe they are the same ones who compare Majesty of the Seas to Voyager Class ships. Fact is the only ship worth side by side comparing to Oasis is the NCL EPIC.

Not fair to compare the two ships. Nothing compares to the Oasis class. Listen, I know you are a long time cruiser,usually I agree with you, but to say the food on RCCL is better than Dream, dude....please..... I just got off the Dream and the food was the best I have had PERIOD, that goes for any line, hands down. Now either I just got lucky,(doubt it, been on the Wonder 2X before) or you were not so lucky. As far as checkin goes...the Disney terminal I agree is pure chaos, a real head thumper on why they do not have this down pat. Maybe that terminal is way too small....hard to believe as they had ample time to improve it before the Dreams arrival.

I've heard good reviews about the Dream. Some say it's awesome. Personally, DCL is at top of my prefernces, but cannot afford it all the time. Cannot do Dream until Dec 2012.

Thanks!!! and my retort to the former..... I don't know who these people are whom you speak of who have this gut wrenching decision but maybe they are the same ones who compare Majesty of the Seas to Voyager Class ships. Fact is the only ship worth side by side comparing to Oasis is the NCL EPIC.

Wow - you seem like a very angry person with lots of rules. Not sure why you'd even bother to take the time to read and comment on the thread since it is apparently so offensive to you.

Nice review/comparison.....Thanks

Food is personal, as discussed in a million threads. I do think the food on Dream is good (better than Wonder), but IMO the food on my lone RCL cruise on Liberty OTS was better. Food isn't at the top of our priority list in terms of overall importance for a cruise. We loved our last cruise on the Dream and I think it will be a good choice to anyone with kids who've not done DCL before, or those who've done Wonder/Magic and are thinking about Dream.

Wow, no twin beds? That is enough for me to hear. RCCL its all twins that they can push together to make a king, and/or leave apart. I would only do "apart".

I get a kick out of the RCCL preference which I still haven't figured out. The choice is bed preference: together; together/both together; apart; or apart/both apart. Whats the difference between apart and apart/both apart. I picked the last to make sure they are apart. Once they weren't and just a mention to my stateroom attendant and it was done when we returned after dinner.

Pat and I are wondering now, do we call you Patrick or GMoney or "Dude"????

Wow - you seem like a very angry person with lots of rules. Not sure why you'd even bother to take the time to read and comment on the thread since it is apparently so offensive to you.

It is offensive because for you to sit with a straight face and say the food on the Dream can't compare to Oasis, limited healthy options and soaked in oil is probably one of the biggest exaggerations I have ever heard on these boards and that is saying something. I post because someone needs to stand up to your false claim. Clearly it can have an adverse effect on novice cruisers decision making. As far as your angry claim...what? Is that how you win a debate? Claim the other person who opposed your view must be an angry person??? Hilarious....if anyone has a problem it might be your ego issues by broadcasting your near Pinnacle status and then taking offense to the commonly used word "dude".... I think you stumbled onto the Carnival Dream, check your ticket stub....

Thanks!!! and my retort to the former..... I don't know who these people are whom you speak of who have this gut wrenching decision but maybe they are the same ones who compare Majesty of the Seas to Voyager Class ships. Fact is the only ship worth side by side comparing to Oasis is the NCL EPIC.

I think it's a perfectly valid comparison. There are plenty of people -- myself being one of them -- who are trying to decide between Disney's newest and largest ship, and RCI's newest and largest ship(s). Ergo, the comparison between the Dream (or forthcoming Fantasy) and Oasis/Allure.

To the OP, thank you for this very detailed review. Most helpful and appreciated.

Patrick, thank you for this review! We currently have 2 cruises booked for the summer, one on the Dream, and one on the Oasis and are trying to decide which to keep and which to cancel. We are platinum Disney cruisers, but we love the Disney Magic and are fearful of being disappointed with the new ship.

I know you mentioned that Deck 4 remains a running track, as on the other Disney ships. How about on the Oasis? We cruised once on RCL on the Voyageur of the Seas and the "running track" was a complete joke...it only covered half the ship and you had to weave in and out of lounge chairs. This is actually an important consideration to me as I am going to be in the midst of marathon training while on board.

Thanks again for your very helpful post!

Not fair to compare the two ships. Nothing compares to the Oasis class. Listen, I know you are a long time cruiser,usually I agree with you, but to say the food on RCCL is better than Dream, dude....please..... I just got off the Dream and the food was the best I have had PERIOD, that goes for any line, hands down. Now either I just got lucky,(doubt it, been on the Wonder 2X before) or you were not so lucky. As far as checkin goes...the Disney terminal I agree is pure chaos, a real head thumper on why they do not have this down pat. Maybe that terminal is way too small....hard to believe as they had ample time to improve it before the Dreams arrival.

Food is very subjective. Our family was not impressed with the Disney food at all. We loved the restaurants, but were not very impressed by the food. We ALL (children and adults) loved RCCL's food. We also don't feel Disney is worth the extra money.

pat and i are wondering now, do we call you patrick or gmoney or "dude"????

lol :D

Just returned from a quick 4 niter on the brand new Disney Dream, and I thought I'd do a quick comparison to RCI's newest ships, Oasis & Allure.

 

First, I acknowledge such a comparison is a little apples n oranges given the sheer differences in the vessels; however, they are new ships that have received much fanfare, you have to pay a premium to sail them, they both vie for families, and there have been some posts here asking for details on how the Dream stacks up.

 

Second, here's a little about me, so you get where I'm coming from: no kids; I've been on 3 Disney cruises prior to the Dream (all Wonder) and really enjoyed them; and the cruise is more important to me than all the Disney stuff (don't give a darn about Mickey, Walt and the characters...). I'm about 30 days away from Pinnacle on RCI.

 

While I didn't expect Dream to be perfect given that it's a new ship, I did expect a top notch experience, given 1) it's Disney; and 2) I'm paying a premium to sail on her compared to comparable cruises. Having seen RCI execute flawlessly on recent Oasis and Allure inaugural cruises, I'm not willing to cut Disney slack and give them a "do over" on my dime.

 

Specifics:

 

+ EMBARKATION. We arrived around 1045am by rental car shuttle. You end up in 2 staging areas / lines. The first occurs outside the terminal to pass though the gate. There's a 'security" check where someone looks at your picture ID and ensures you're on the manifest. I have no problem with this; it's just executed poorly. There's very little staff explaining what's going on or why you're waiting in line, the fact that there are actually 2 lines, and you have to dodge the poor porters who are trying to shuttle luggage in the same area. Wait time was approx 20 min for something that could have gone a lot faster. Fortunately, the weather was pleasant; not sure what Disney's plan is it's raining or roasting.

 

Then you enter the terminal and go through security. This line looks worse than it is. Spent about 15 minutes here.

 

The last line is for actual check in, and that went fast.

 

Boarding started around 12noon. The biggest problem is the terminal is way too small for the crowd. The terminal was packed with people. There's insufficient seating; people are crammed in everywhere. We were assigned Boarding # 14 and finally got on around 1245.

 

WINNER: Oasis / Allure. With the huge new terminal at Port Everglades, embarkation is quick, easy and painless.

 

 

 

 

+ Stateroom. Had on OV on Deck 2 port side in a mid - forward location.

 

Good Points:

> Location was AWESOME. Very convenient to forward elevators, dining areas, theatres / bars.

 

> The room is a good size, especially when compared to rooms on new ships like Oasis and Allure. Tons of storage.

 

> Still love the separated bathroom.

 

> Really like the convenience of the new entry method (swipe your card rather than insert it in the door).

 

> I like getting regular ESPN on the TV.

 

> AC was excellent.

 

 

Bad Points:

> THE STATEROOM BEDS CAN'T BE SEPARATED!!!!!!!! Never seen this before anywhere. I was traveling with a friend and fully expected the larger bed to be separated in 2, just like on every other cruise ship on every other cruise line. Not on the Dream. The beds don't separate. Instead, the options are 1) use the pull out sofa or the pullman bed from the ceiling, neither of which I was interested in.

 

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was to me, as I'm 6'3 (tall, not fat) and just can't curl up anywhere, plus getting a decent night's sleep on vacation is important to me. Once I got over being stunned by the news, we worked with the stateroom attendant and came up with a workable solution; however, Disney needs to disclose this fact much more proactively, just like they note connecting cabins for example.

 

> The Interactive TV could be improved. You can only view charges on one account, and even then, it doesn't always work due to "system glitches." It's also not very functional, as you can't book excursions or dining reservations.

 

WINNER: Disney gets the nod for the overall cabin (with the exception of the non-splitting beds) given its size and tons of storage space.

 

 

 

 

+ Dining. Probably my biggest complaint. The food is the worst I've experienced in almost 100 cruises on 7 lines - both in terms of quality and selection.

 

> Breakfast: The buffet setup in Cabanas & Enchanted Garden is inefficient and flawed from the start. First, Disney insists on seating everyone who comes in (not sure why), causing a line. Second, the food is staged in a single serving line, rather than separated islands / stations (like RCI does). The stations are awkwardly positioned and hard to extract food from. For some unknown reason, Disney also chooses to have someone dole out fruit and pastries at breakfast, rather than making them self-service. Not sure if it's because these items are more pricey, or they are too tempting for kids, but whatever the reason is, it leads to yet more lines in rooms that are entirely too small for what they are designed to do. Worst of all, the food is basically inedible - soaked in grease and luke warm if you're lucky. Bread would be toasted on one side and fresh out of the bag on the other. Peanut butter was non-existent and only available upon request, and then only if someone happened to know where it was stashed.

 

> Lunch. Given the low quality of the breakfast buffet, we had sit-down lunch in the Royal Palace. The service was good and the food quality slightly better.

 

> Dinner. Probably the biggest disappointment. The service from our wait staff was awesome (very friendly and efficient), but the food was anything but. I found the selection to be limited compared to other cruise lines, the offerings often were lukewarm to downright cold, over-salted, soaked in butter / oil and just generally of poor quality. Food has never been Disney's strong point, but it seems like cost cutting has further eroded the experience.

 

> Snacks. The fast food fare at Eye Scream, Luigi's Pizza and similar stations (burgers, chicken fingers, etc) was of similar low quality, but I understand Disney is just trying to keep the bellies of the little kids full.

 

> Palo. This was the only bright spot. Palo lived up to it's billing and exceeded expectations. Loved the food and I was surprised the charge is still only $20pp. Best specialty restaurant at sea, IMO.

 

> Notes. In general, if you're looking for lighter, healthier fare - forget it. Really hard to find, as is food in general in the evening. Room Service is basically the only option. Animator's Palate - While the new room is very nice and well done, and the Finding Nemo aquarium theme is cute, I just prefer the "old" color-changing version on Magic and Wonder.

 

WINNER: Oasis / Allure. While RCI's food may not be perfect, the quality is good, the variety is great, options abound, and I can get peanut butter myself =).

 

 

 

+ Entertainment. This used to be the great strength of Disney. While it's still very good, RCI has closed the gap with Oasis and Allure.

 

> "Golden Mickeys." LOVE this show. The updates are small and consistent with the older version

 

> "Villains Tonight." With such a rich history and great characters to exploit, I thought this show would be a home run. Instead, it's tedious and the story is all over the place. Pain and Panic are just friggin annoying.

 

> Comedian / Juggler Dude. Not bad. Seen better, seen worse.

 

> "Believe." It's okay. Just not as good as the Wonder / Magic tear-jerker (I forget the name).

 

> Pirate Night Fireworks. LOVE this. Great show.

 

> Movies. While I didn't care for the movies being shown ("Tron," "Tangled," "I am Number Four,"), I appreciate how Disney shows their current flicks, and the Buena Vista Theatre is big and comfortable with stellar sound.

 

WINNER: Tie. It boils down to personal preference. RCI may not have the tradition of Disney, but they have made huge strides with the entertainment on Oasis / Allure and the variety of options is great.

 

 

 

+ The Ship. Overall, the Dream is nice. Very much like Wonder and Magic, with the classic nautical theme.

 

> Crowds. Dream doesn't handle crowds well. I felt more crowded on Dream than I ever did on Allure with close to 6000 people.

 

> Elevators. Forget trying to use the mid-ship elevators - just way too busy. Forward elevators are generally easy to catch. Otherwise the stairs work great!

 

> Gym. Kinda small, but decent enough, especially on a kid-oriented ship.

 

> Deck 4 Promenade / Running Track. Worked better than I anticipated, as it's wide enough for people to run and accommodate other traffic.

 

> Thermal Suite / Rainforest. Very nice. One of the best at sea. Nice variety of "specialty" showers, steamrooms / sauna. whirlpools, and heated tile lounge chairs, all with an awesome view. However, the spa staff needs to enforce access a little better, as it's not uncommon for people who haven't paid to wander in and use the place.

 

> Pink (Champagne Bar). Overrated. It's a pale closet with pricey champagne.

 

> Aqua Duck. Loved it. Lots of fun. Well done.

 

> Pools. Entirely too small.

 

> Quiet Adult Pool Area. Not quite as good as on Wonder and Magic, where you can really insulate yourself from all the kids if you want. This seems harder to do on Dream, especially with the Fast Food / Ice Cream stand being right on the "border" of the adult pool area, pulling the kids in like a magnet.

 

WINNER: RCI. No one designs and build better ships than RCI, and Oasis / Allure are unparalleled in the amenities offered with an effective use of space. The neighborhood concept is so effective at diffusing crowds.

 

 

 

+ Service. In general, service was very good, especially with the dining room wait staff. Guest Relations tried to help when problems were presented and genuinely seemed to care. There did seem to be a lot of people in training, identifiable by their "Earning My Ears" ribbon their name tag.

 

WINNER: Tie, with maybe a slight edge to Disney.

 

So in short, if you like a little cruising with your Disney, then the Dream may be for you. However, if the cruise experience matters, think twice - there are too many other options (better options, IMO) out there for the same price (or less) than the premiums Disney is charging to sail on the Dream.

Thanks for the review and comparisons, Patrick. Many of your comments, especially about the quality of the food on the Dream, match comments from friends who were just on the ship with their multi-generational family. They weren't as enthusiastic about the Aqua Duck as I would have expected and as you apparently were, and their wait staff seemed to be out of synch with one another much of the time. Their oldest adult son was disappointed that he couldn't see an NBA game in the Sports Bar because only the Academy Awards telecast was being shown. On the other hand the grandchildren had a blast. After listening to their comments I couldn't help thinking that all of them would have had as good or better a time had they sailed on Allure or Oasis.:)

It is offensive because for you to sit with a straight face and say the food on the Dream can't compare to Oasis, limited healthy options and soaked in oil is probably one of the biggest exaggerations I have ever heard on these boards and that is saying something. I post because someone needs to stand up to your false claim.

Your anger is obvious and impossible to miss but it is also difficult to understand why you take such an exception to someone's claim that the food they were served on Disney Dream wasn't to their liking. Opinions about food, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not,are basically subjective and if you read other posts on this thread you will see that others have similar opinions about the food. My friends who were just on Disney Dream voiced similar opinions and in addition, unlike Patrick,they were underwhelmed by the performance of their assigned wait staff as well. It may be that those servers were new and inexperienced but they certainly did not enhance the nightly dining experience.

I saw only opinions in Patrick's post, many of which he supported with additional background, not false claims. Defend the Dream as you wish but please allow that others can have differing opinions without being attacked for expressing those opinions.

Patrick, thank you for this review! We currently have 2 cruises booked for the summer, one on the Dream, and one on the Oasis and are trying to decide which to keep and which to cancel. We are platinum Disney cruisers, but we love the Disney Magic and are fearful of being disappointed with the new ship.

 

I know you mentioned that Deck 4 remains a running track, as on the other Disney ships. How about on the Oasis? We cruised once on RCL on the Voyageur of the Seas and the "running track" was a complete joke...it only covered half the ship and you had to weave in and out of lounge chairs. This is actually an important consideration to me as I am going to be in the midst of marathon training while on board.

 

Thanks again for your very helpful post!

when we were on the oasis i thought the jogging track was fantastic. now i dont jog but it did go around the ship that i remember and the oasis is a huge ship. At the front you could access the fitness club from the jogging track, it was huge anyway just like the ship

when we were on the oasis i thought the jogging track was fantastic. now i dint jog but it did go around the ship that i remember and the oasis is a huge ship. At the front you could access the fitness club from the jogging track, it was huge anyway just like the ship

When I first got on Oasis I was not particularly happy that the jogging track was moved from its usual location on the sun deck to deck 5. But it turned out to be a great move. It is usable at any time of the day. The tracks on the sun deck always become clogged with chairs and people and they are unusable except for early morning or later in the day.

Why would they put beds on a ship that can't be split apart? Many people share cabins who are not couples. We have cruised with family members who would have been quite uncomfortable if confronted with this situation. My mother and father always preferred to have the beds split in their cabin when we cruise. I don't get it.