Carnival Lover Just Back Today from First Disney Cruise

[TennesseeTater]

I sailed the Disney Magic a few years ago. I loved the Lido deck layout, and the adult only area better than Carnival's. However, I did not think the dining room food was good, just my personal experience. I was just surprised that we paid such a high price and had nights in the dining room that just weren't enjoyable.

 

I would absolutely sail Disney again, for the right price, but it's not something I will do regularly.

[gladimhere]

they are too expensive .I have never sailed with Carnival but will in Jan. Im really happy to see comparisons on this board . I am sooooooo excited this will be my second cruise but have two people who have never cruised and feel that Carnival holds its own against Disney from what ive read.But im guessing Disney shows cant be beat its kinda what they do.

[Bunkie103]

We are Platinum Carnival cruisers who cruised with Disney in January 2012 with our son and his family. The Disney Dream is a BEAUTIFUL ship, there was not one thing about it I could fault, except lack of a casino. The food was comparable, but I thought the dining rooms were really packed and noisy....my kids are grown, so it seemed noisy to me. Entertainment was great, loved the pirate night, we are still saying "aye-aye Captain" to each other! Our grandson was in heaven with all the characters, but he's 4 so that fits.

 

On Thanksgiving we are all going on a short trip on the Carnival Breeze. I will be curious to see how a now almost 5 year old enjoys it. Glad we had the opportunity to try Disney. Would we do it again? Maybe with other grandchildren.

[luvavacation]

Disney is my family's preferred cruiseline, for many reasons already stated (and we are owners with Disney Vacation Club, so yes, we really do like the Disney atmosphere and experience). We will live frugally so we can completely let go of being adults when we cruise Disney (or go to a Disney park). For us, a Disney cruise gets us back in touch with our inner child, and we can smile all day long at little kids seeing their favorite characters! It does help to let your inner child come out, though, to have full enjoyment of what a Disney cruise offers.

 

And Castaway, Cay, just wow. The Family Beach is netted to keep out the big critters. I swim there. The Adult Beach is not netted, and I almost stepped on a large Sea Slug there. I don't swim there. But it is nice, and I don't believe any other private islands have netted beaches? I may be wrong.

 

We do save up for our Disney cruises, so we book them when the dates first come out, and save that way, knowing we have almost 18 months usually until final payment. We also sail other lines, but those are less expensive, booked within 2 or 3 month of sailing experiences. I am taking everyone on a Carnival cruise over Thanksgiving this year because I just can't handle the "drama" and all the cooking/clean up again. I need a break! DCL was not in the budget (plus we are booked on the Disney Fantasy this summer already), but Carnival will get be away, and that is what I want!

 

I don't think the age of kids is really a deciding factor, for my children are of 22 and 18, and they still prefer a Disney cruise over anything else. I really believe it is willingness to embrace the inner child.:) However, my kids will jump at the chance to go whereever mom and dad are paying:D, and they will enjoy the time with their parents, no matter what ship or cruiseline we are on!

 

And this Thanksgiving, I am racing my DH on the double slide on Carnival, because that is something we haven't done. Each cruise line offers something different, and each one pleases a different person in a different way. That's why there are so many! :)

[NewKansasKruiser]

I've also been looking at the Disney cruises. What is the difference between Castaway Cay and Carnival's private Half Moon Cay? We loved HMC...it was perfect! I wondered what Disney does different on their private island? Thanks...

 

You certainly should expand your circles.

 

Take any cruiseline you line, add a layer of Disney on top, and you get DCL. There's nothing like it!

 

And certainly NOTHING that compares to Castaway Cay ANYWHERE.

[luvavacation]

If it is ok, I will let you know what major differences I really like about Castaway Cay...

 

1. Dock - no tendering. Come and go as you please, only wait is for the tram if you don't wish to walk to the ship.

 

2. Family Beach is netted from the big critters. If you have fears of sharks, this may help.

 

3. Snorkeling path in the netted family beach.

 

4. Free pop on island, so if you are thirsty, just walk on over to the dispenser and get your pop.

 

5. Adult beach on other side of island, not netted, very beautiful, and adults only is enforced.

 

6. It is an island, and only approved vendors are allowed to be there.

 

7. Great play area at Pelican Plunge, for both adults and kids!

 

8. Lots of available umbrellas and shaded chairs.

 

9. The bike path is great for exploring and seeing what the island is like in the areas that are not "Disneyfied", i.e., not manicured nor cleared.

 

This is the stuff that, for my family, is special about Castaway Cay.

[MrPete]

If it is ok, I will let you know what major differences I really like about Castaway Cay...

 

1. Dock - no tendering. Come and go as you please, only wait is for the tram if you don't wish to walk to the ship.

 

2. Family Beach is netted from the big critters. If you have fears of sharks, this may help.

 

3. Snorkeling path in the netted family beach.

 

4. Free pop on island, so if you are thirsty, just walk on over to the dispenser and get your pop.

 

5. Adult beach on other side of island, not netted, very beautiful, and adults only is enforced.

 

6. It is an island, and only approved vendors are allowed to be there.

 

7. Great play area at Pelican Plunge, for both adults and kids!

 

8. Lots of available umbrellas and shaded chairs.

 

9. The bike path is great for exploring and seeing what the island is like in the areas that are not "Disneyfied", i.e., not manicured nor cleared.

 

This is the stuff that, for my family, is special about Castaway Cay.

 

And the FOOD!

[legion3]

Disney is so expensive. I have worked at WDW on and off since the early 80's, I like disney and so have all of my kids but the cruise prices are indecent. :eek:

 

I can take like 3 or 4 or 5 ;) CCL or 2 RCCI cruises for the price of a disney cruise. I guess I should be grateful I live only a few miles from WDW and multiple cruise ports. I can have my disney on land and avoid the high cost of having it at sea. that reminds me I need to hit the Epcot wine and food festival soon.

 

Of course when I was in high school and we went to disney the cost of a day pass was around $18. Now its $80+. and when I first worked at WDW my pay was $5.50/hour last year when I was working just for fun it was $9.10/hour because I was a lake patrol lifeguard.

 

Hmmm, $5.50 - $9.10 and $18 - $80 (which one of these sets of numbers does not seem to be keeping pace?)

[T. Advisor King]

...I will say that once you've gone to Castaway Cay, every other private island/beach will be a bitter disappointment. That's not to say we won't enjoy ourselves, just that we won't put Disney expectations on our cruise... :D!

 

I'm confused. You'll "enjoy yourselves" but it will still be a "bitter disappointment"? On a Caribbean island nonetheless?

[dontpanik]

I'm confused. You'll "enjoy yourselves" but it will still be a "bitter disappointment"? On a Caribbean island nonetheless?

 

 

I'm not going to a private island or beach...nor am I trying to start a fight. Yes, I took an RCI cruise after the Disney cruises, visited Coco Cay and was brought down pretty fast. It is comparing apples to grasshoppers. To me they cannot be compared, only contrasted unless you count sand as being a prerequisite. Take out every single Disney theme, and the island is still paradise on Earth and pure luxury. Everyone extolls the private islands and beaches of every cruise line, but for the reasons listed above, you can't compete with Disney's Castaway Cay.

 

I stand by my original statement. If anyone thinks that Castaway Cay is the standard, then yes, they, and myself, will be bitterly disappointed. Which, btw, is why I mentioned we will enjoy our cruise as we have in the past and not worry about setting the standards too high.

[MrPete]

I'm not going to a private island or beach...nor am I trying to start a fight. Yes, I took an RCI cruise after the Disney cruises, visited Coco Cay and was brought down pretty fast. It is comparing apples to grasshoppers. To me they cannot be compared, only contrasted unless you count sand as being a prerequisite. Take out every single Disney theme, and the island is still paradise on Earth and pure luxury. Everyone extolls the private islands and beaches of every cruise line, but for the reasons listed above, you can't compete with Disney's Castaway Cay.

 

I stand by my original statement. If anyone thinks that Castaway Cay is the standard, then yes, they, and myself, will be bitterly disappointed. Which, btw, is why I mentioned we will enjoy our cruise as we have in the past and not worry about setting the standards too high.

 

Kinda like finding Thurston and Lovey on the SS Minnow.

[LOVECRUISING100%]

Good to know .. Thanks for posting

[gottacruise@juno.com]

Bunkie123 - I'd like to hear how your grandson likes Carnival after DCL. My daughter and her husband took their kids on their first cruise last year - DCL. I wonder if they will be disappointed by any other.

 

I don't like the Broadway/Las Vegas type shows. I went to the first show on DCL and was a little bored. I went to the 2nd one and left after about 15 minutes. I didn't go to the last one. However, I did enjoy the magic show, the hypnotist and somewhat the juggler.

 

I also thought the dining room was pretty noisy.

 

Even though this sounds negative, it was a great cruise overall.

[davids68girl]

The only cruise my family has sailed is DCL. We were on the Dream last year and LOVED it. But we are headed to the Carnival Magic and I am every bit as excited about that ship as I was the DCL Dream. I know there will not be the same dining experience (which we loved!) and I have worried that the kids clubs won't compare, but in the end, it's a cruise, on an awesome new ship with some fun things that I am sure will make my kids forget all about our first cruise. I love DCL but our next cruise is Carnival and NCL is after that. I'm sure we'll sail DCL again, when we can get a great deal, but until then, we plan on trying out the other lines and stretching our dollar as far as we can.

[bbmom2boys]

I appreciate the fact that CCL keeps the prices affordable! In this economy that is the only way we can afford to go! I guess the other cruise lines are doing ok therefore they do not need to adjust prices and if they ever drop them we might decide to experiment. I want peoples opinions that is why I read these boards but I do not appreciate the way people talk to each other sometimes....geez!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

And no casinos to offset some of their "losses!":D We loved Disney ships when the kids were young. Now that they are older, they prefer CCL. I also can't justify the price of Disney now. When we first cruised with them, we spent $1800 for a "family" balcony cabin for 7 days - high season. (which was a lot of money at that time, but we splurged.) I keep pricing their cabins, and get prices ranging from 6-8,000 for the same cabin we had in 1998! Someday, my ship will come....:p

 

Same here, we have loved our Disney cruises but as the kids have gotten older they are more and more expensive so we mostly stick with princess which they enjoy too. Would like to do the Disney Dream but just cannot justify it to myself these days:D

[Julia’s Journey’s]

You certainly should expand your circles.

 

Take any cruiseline you line, add a layer of Disney on top, and you get DCL. There's nothing like it!

 

And certainly NOTHING that compares to Castaway Cay ANYWHERE.

 

Loved CC and especially when we did double stops there:D

Forgot to mention Palo's, my favorite restaurant at sea and maybe even land!!!

I love the casino but have never missed it on Disney, actually enjoy the shows more cause I'm not in the casino missing all the other entertainment:D

[Julia’s Journey’s]

You're using the wrong adjective. You don't need to be a Disney fanatic. Just a cruising fanatic, or not.

 

But certainly see no correlation between a Disney park and a Disney cruise, except they are experts at moving crowded and crowd control.

 

But the only one that loses is you. You have an impression on something you've never tried.

 

And I'll let my SIL know you are dissatisfied with ABC Family Disney.

 

I agree, DCL is not only for Disney fanatics but an awesome cruise with lots of adult only entertainment which is not family friendly. I was amazed my first DCL how many people didn't have kids with them.

Awesome ships, service and a product that cannot be compared to other lines.

[happy traveler69]

I agree. No kids here, but I would sail with Disney forever if I could. Our economic situation has been such we haven't been able to for awhile. I will say that once you've gone to Castaway Cay, every other private island/beach will be a bitter disappointment. That's not to say we won't enjoy ourselves, just that we won't put Disney expectations on our cruise. I'm sure we're going to love our Dream cruise :D!

 

you are so right about castaway cay!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

The only cruise my family has sailed is DCL. We were on the Dream last year and LOVED it. But we are headed to the Carnival Magic and I am every bit as excited about that ship as I was the DCL Dream. I know there will not be the same dining experience (which we loved!) and I have worried that the kids clubs won't compare, but in the end, it's a cruise, on an awesome new ship with some fun things that I am sure will make my kids forget all about our first cruise. I love DCL but our next cruise is Carnival and NCL is after that. I'm sure we'll sail DCL again, when we can get a great deal, but until then, we plan on trying out the other lines and stretching our dollar as far as we can.

 

You will have a great time on all the cruises with the kids but we did notice a huge difference between DCL and Carnivals kids program.

We were much more time clocking on carnival as there camp is only open certain hours so we found as soon as we relaxed at the pool it was time to get the kids. We were at the Gym in a class and it ended a couple of minutes late so we were late getting the kids from camp and Carnival actually charged us a late fee, we found on Disney we could relax and when the kids wanted to be picked up are needed something they would page us etc. of course as they got older they could check themselves in and out but because of this we had a way more relaxing time on DCL.

[SteelerCruiser]

would love to take our Son on Disney but just can't justify the extra expense........much rather take multiple cruises for the same $$$

[mommy2tati]

My DD10 has only ever sailed DCL. We're sailing on the Valor out of San Juan in March & I'm curious to see if she will enjoy herself in the kid's clubs. It was like pulling teeth trying to convince her to come on this cruise. She relented since she'll be back on DCL in August smh.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

would love to take our Son on Disney but just can't justify the extra expense........much rather take multiple cruises for the same $$$

 

It is hard to justify in this economy but they are only young once, my kids cried when they had to get off the ship after a week.

As they have gotten older they have enjoyed Princess which of course has an older crowd etc.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

My DD10 has only ever sailed DCL. We're sailing on the Valor out of San Juan in March & I'm curious to see if she will enjoy herself in the kid's clubs. It was like pulling teeth trying to convince her to come on this cruise. She relented since she'll be back on DCL in August smh.

 

What is your daughters name, my DD is Tarryn but I always call her tati:)

[NewKansasKruiser]

Thanks for the helpful response! The no tendering is a DEFINITE plus! The tender process on the Destiny was a mess. HMC also has free pop on the island at the bar (if you purchased the bottomless bubbles on the ship). We are looking at future cruises and if we do Disney, I would want to visit Castaway Cay. Thanks again!

 

 

differences I really like about Castaway Cay...

 

1. Dock - no tendering. Come and go as you please, only wait is for the tram if you don't wish to walk to the ship.

 

2. Family Beach is netted from the big critters. If you have fears of sharks, this may help.

 

3. Snorkeling path in the netted family beach.

 

4. Free pop on island, so if you are thirsty, just walk on over to the dispenser and get your pop.

 

5. Adult beach on other side of island, not netted, very beautiful, and adults only is enforced.

 

6. It is an island, and only approved vendors are allowed to be there.

 

7. Great play area at Pelican Plunge, for both adults and kids!

 

8. Lots of available umbrellas and shaded chairs.

 

9. The bike path is great for exploring and seeing what the island is like in the areas that are not "Disneyfied", i.e., not manicured nor cleared.

 

This is the stuff that, for my family, is special about Castaway Cay.