Disney vs royal

[dancinman66]

Yes, you can send things out to be dry cleaned, laundered, or pressed. We make good use of Downy Wrinkle Releaser.

 

 

So true only found out about this a few cruises ago and love it

Never go anywhere without it now

Plus carefully pick what clothes I take

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Clarea]

...

Plus carefully pick what clothes I take.

Very true, should have mentioned that too. We pack many items in plastic bags and that seems to minimize the wrinkles.

[big al]

Yes, vocals are live ( except sometimes the backround vocals) ,and one more thing we like on Disney: the phones to use on board so you can call each other are FREE...the similar DET phones on RCI cost $$...very nice to keep in touch with members of your party...also, the ships have a much more "classical" look to them- lots of wood, teak, etc..the walking outside promenade on deck 4 on the Dream & Fantasy are simply GORGEOUS..lined with lounge chairs, it is worth by itself the increase in price...the Meridian Bar on deck 12 also has sunset views , and you can sit outside as well.....Liberty Of The Seas & Disney Dream -best 4 night cruises around IMO....

 

Big Al

[Folk Singer]

Very true, should have mentioned that too. We pack many items in plastic bags and that seems to minimize the wrinkles.

 

We do as well and it is nice how it does minimize the dreaded wrinkles.

[Tony20]

As our signature shows, we've traveled quite a bit on both. And it's always just my wife and I, no kids.

 

Love everything about Disney except... the clubs go dead after 10 PM. Perfectly understandable with all those families and we know that going in.

 

But we like to party too, so our RC cruises take care of that itch.

 

Love them both.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

I have sailed both. Here are some thoughts on Disney:

 

1. No casino

2. Very Disney themed. They show Disney movies. You walk around the ship and Disney music is playing. Shows are all Disney themed (and excellent by the way). They even shape some of the kids foods like Disney characters. If you are not a Disney fan, you wont enjoy the cruise.

3. Very kid oriented. If you have kids they will love it. Kids are the stars on Disney Cruises.

4. Pools are very small for some reason. The kids bob up and down in the water like corks as they have no room to swim.

5. Service is simply amazing. They call all employees "cast members" and they are all friendly as heck. Disney must pay well as the entire crew is always smiling.

6. On the last day of the cruise that damn song "Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to work we go" will play all day. Its like they are taunting you the cruise is ending. It was both funny and a bit depressing at the same time.

7. Rooms were small and tight. Our family of four always gets a standard balcony room and Disney was by far the smallest rooms I have ever seen. We went on the Wonder and perhaps their newer ship design has fixed this.

8. I think overall the food is perhaps one notch above RCCLs, though they are very comparable. They do deserts different though. They bring out tiny little taste bites of the deserts and you can order a large serving if you want it. This seemed pretty smart to me and I am sure saves on their food expense with less waste.

9. Free soda all week

10. They had these walkie talkie things in our room. It was helpful in locating the kids on a few occasions.

 

 

I am sure there are many other differences, but these popped into my head for now.

Edited August 26, 2014 by WhenIsLobsterNight

[AlexanderBeetle]

We do as well and it is nice how it does minimize the dreaded wrinkles.

 

Where can we find info about this trick?

[Clarea]

Where can we find info about this trick?

Not a trick, just keep the clothes in the same plastic bags you get from the cleaners.

[AlexanderBeetle]

Ahh, ok, makes sense. Thanks Bob.

[phoenix_dream]

Price!!!

 

Truthfully, when we priced our upcoming October cruise there was not a lot of price difference between Freedom and one of the newer Disney ships we were considering (forgot which one). We decided to stick with RCI primarily because the perks of our Diamond Status made the price differential a little more pronounced, and the fact that I just wasn't sure I could take the Disney shtick for an entire week without bringing the grandkids. I am glad to hear so many like it - we will probably have to break down and try it one time.

[Sandy Sails]

My dim memory of sailing on the Disney Magic in 2010 with 6 adults was that we had an absolute blast in the evenings in the adult cabaret section. Each night around 10 p.m. there was adult entertainment, i.e. the comedian would do an adult version of his kids show. Or a magic show. Etc. We laughed so hard every night.

My only only issue was the room - it was my first and last inside cabin, because the cost was so much higher on Disney. And we managed to get one of the few insides without the split bathroom.

But I loved being able to bring all the alcohol we wanted and drinking soda for free whenever we wanted. And Castaway Cay was wonderful!

[big al]

I have sailed both. Here are some thoughts on Disney:

 

1. No casino

2. Very Disney themed. They show Disney movies. You walk around the ship and Disney music is playing. Shows are all Disney themed (and excellent by the way). They even shape some of the kids foods like Disney characters. If you are not a Disney fan, you wont enjoy the cruise.

3. Very kid oriented. If you have kids they will love it. Kids are the stars on Disney Cruises.

4. Pools are very small for some reason. The kids bob up and down in the water like corks as they have no room to swim.

5. Service is simply amazing. They call all employees "cast members" and they are all friendly as heck. Disney must pay well as the entire crew is always smiling.

6. On the last day of the cruise that damn song "Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to work we go" will play all day. Its like they are taunting you the cruise is ending. It was both funny and a bit depressing at the same time.

7. Rooms were small and tight. Our family of four always gets a standard balcony room and Disney was by far the smallest rooms I have ever seen. We went on the Wonder and perhaps their newer ship design has fixed this.

8. I think overall the food is perhaps one notch above RCCLs, though they are very comparable. They do deserts different though. They bring out tiny little taste bites of the deserts and you can order a large serving if you want it. This seemed pretty smart to me and I am sure saves on their food expense with less waste.

9. Free soda all week

10. They had these walkie talkie things in our room. It was helpful in locating the kids on a few occasions.

 

 

I am sure there are many other differences, but these popped into my head for now.

 

Disney cabins are among the LARGEST at sea..even the smallest balcony cabins are 204 SF..all other standard balcony cabins are 170-199 SF just an FYI..ours was 299 SF ( Cat 4A) and it was thee best cabin of all our 29 cruises that was NOT a Jr. suite or mini-suite..bathrooms were easily the biggest & best we had..the RAIN shower was unbelievable and the 2 bathrooms concept also was fantastic...I'm glad you mentioned the shows at night- BEST shows I've ever seen as far as musical productions go, along with Hairspray on Oasis..best singers & dancers I've ever seen... best MDR food we've had ( I thought it blew away RCI for MDR food)..Palo had the best brunch on a ship ever ( amazing for dinner as well..)...best buffet breakfast in Cabanas we've had...best service on any ship we had..yes, they play Disney music all the time, but that's a given- just like the Magic Kingdom does...I was 61 when I went with DW, no kids and I felt wonderful the entire 4 days on board..not to mention Disney has by FAR the best private island IMO, Castaway Cay...a destination by itself, it is divine...the adult beach ( Serenity Beach) is just fantastic...I'm Diamond on RCI, but Disney is just a fantastic cruise experience IMO...remember, their ships ( Dream & Fantasy) are virtually ranked # 1 & 2 in every major category on CC and the Fantasy has a 98% rating- highest of any ship on this site..( Reflection is #2 at 92%)...just be prepared for a lot of DISNEY...can you tell we had a good time on the Dream last Nov???

 

Big Al

[debbs0723]

I think both lines are nice and both have their pros and cons. I, myself, felt a little bored on Disney. However, on Royal my kids are having so much fun that I don't get all that much rest. If they had comparable prices, I would not hesitate to book Disney again but for some reason I just like Royal a little better for our needs right now with a 10 and 13 year old. Our needs were met better when they were 8 and 5 on the Disney cruise. When one of these lines puts in a lazy river rather than boring pools, I will be forever loyal to that line. Come on people… A lazy (not so lazy with waves) river on the top deck that goes around the entire circumference of the ship? :D

 

Here are a few things:

 

1.) I don't really feel like Royal vs Disney is like Hilton vs. Ritz. It's a matter of taste. I think Disney is way understated. Enough with the navy blue already. :roll eyes:

 

2.) Don't be too disappointed that Royal doesn't have washers and dryers. I spent way too much of a day on 2 loads because they are small washers and dryers and take many cycles to dry properly.

 

3.) The first lunch buffet on Disney was awesome. As mentioned great shrimp, seafood, etc and great presentation. Breakfast buffet, not any different or better than Royal. Our service lacked big time on Disney. I mean like big time. Switching restaurants was fun, but food overall was nothing to write home about. Honestly food on Royal isn't really anything to write home about either so I feel like they are even in that aspect.

 

4.) I think childcare on Disney is so much more user friendly. Better hours. Ways to communicate with kids and overall just a lot more fun for the kids. That said, I never saw my kids on the Disney ship. Some downtime was great but we found ourselves begging for our girls to eat dinner with us at least one night. However, if you are going to get some adult only time and if your kids love the kids clubs as much as mine you will get tons of time. Royals hours are not user friendly. If your child happened to be in the kids club on Disney around lunch, they would just feed them for you. There was one or two nights that they had a late kids party until around midnight or 1 if I remember correctly where they did a slumber party and put them all to sleep as well. You can't beat that if you want some time to yourselves. As I said before, the hours in general are just much better on Disney. Royals hours are not. I was very disappointed in how they kept closing every couple of hours. My daughter didn't want to be in there all day but the times were inconvenient. Disney's kids clubs are also a lot more visually interesting. If I still had really young kids that I needed a break from I would choose Disney for this reason.

 

4.) Not only does Disney let you bring your own booze, but from what I remember their pricing was a little better for booze when you bought them. However, I can't drink that much on vacation and in reality those savings are made up for when you price the cruise so I'm okay that Royal is more expensive and doesn't let you bring your own. It's not really comparing apples to apples.

 

5.) I think Royal has more to do for kids who are somewhat aging out of the kids clubs. Flowriders, iceskating, rock climbing, mini golf.

 

6.) shows. I think that depends on what boat you are on. Disney shows are great if you like shows geared towards kids. I'm talking about the main shows. They were very well done but with my girls being 10 and 13 now, we are over it.

 

7.) Characters. Going on the allure soon so I can't comment. The disney boat was a great way to meet characters before going to Disney. You can turn in a frame, paper, pillow case, etc to the front desk on Day one and get all the signatures and have it returned to you on the last day. We found that the waits to see characters were long but sometimes you would run into them randomly.

 

8.) Disney was one of the quietest ships I've ever been on. They do a great job of enforcing adults only and its amazing how the adult pool backs right up to the kids yet there is no noise between the two. I really think the kids clubs are so good that you just don't see tons of kids on board.

 

Debbie

Edited August 27, 2014 by debbs0723

[Folk Singer]

Where can we find info about this trick?

 

No trick just use the same dry cleaning bags. There are tips on You tube on how to pack to avoid most wrinkles.

[bplazo]

Our first cruise was Disney and we just loved it. My favorite memory was Mickey waving to us as we sailed away. I think it mainly depends on the age of your children if they are young then Disney is fabulous.

[Klstaack]

The soda isn't free....it is included in the price of the cruise.

 

Nothing on a ship is free.....you paid for all of it...even if you don't use it...like the gym.

 

However, it is nice to not have to pay for an extra soda package. We will be getting the soda package on our upcoming trip.

[big al]

I think both lines are nice and both have their pros and cons. I, myself, felt a little bored on Disney. However, on Royal my kids are having so much fun that I don't get all that much rest. If they had comparable prices, I would not hesitate to book Disney again but for some reason I just like Royal a little better for our needs right now with a 10 and 13 year old. Our needs were met better when they were 8 and 5 on the Disney cruise. When one of these lines puts in a lazy river rather than boring pools, I will be forever loyal to that line. Come on people… A lazy (not so lazy with waves) river on the top deck that goes around the entire circumference of the ship? :D

 

Here are a few things:

 

1.) I don't really feel like Royal vs Disney is like Hilton vs. Ritz. It's a matter of taste. I think Disney is way understated. Enough with the navy blue already. :roll eyes:

 

2.) Don't be too disappointed that Royal doesn't have washers and dryers. I spent way too much of a day on 2 loads because they are small washers and dryers and take many cycles to dry properly.

 

3.) The first lunch buffet on Disney was awesome. As mentioned great shrimp, seafood, etc and great presentation. Breakfast buffet, not any different or better than Royal. Our service lacked big time on Disney. I mean like big time. Switching restaurants was fun, but food overall was nothing to write home about. Honestly food on Royal isn't really anything to write home about either so I feel like they are even in that aspect.

 

4.) I think childcare on Disney is so much more user friendly. Better hours. Ways to communicate with kids and overall just a lot more fun for the kids. That said, I never saw my kids on the Disney ship. Some downtime was great but we found ourselves begging for our girls to eat dinner with us at least one night. However, if you are going to get some adult only time and if your kids love the kids clubs as much as mine you will get tons of time. Royals hours are not user friendly. If your child happened to be in the kids club on Disney around lunch, they would just feed them for you. There was one or two nights that they had a late kids party until around midnight or 1 if I remember correctly where they did a slumber party and put them all to sleep as well. You can't beat that if you want some time to yourselves. As I said before, the hours in general are just much better on Disney. Royals hours are not. I was very disappointed in how they kept closing every couple of hours. My daughter didn't want to be in there all day but the times were inconvenient. Disney's kids clubs are also a lot more visually interesting. If I still had really young kids that I needed a break from I would choose Disney for this reason.

 

4.) Not only does Disney let you bring your own booze, but from what I remember their pricing was a little better for booze when you bought them. However, I can't drink that much on vacation and in reality those savings are made up for when you price the cruise so I'm okay that Royal is more expensive and doesn't let you bring your own. It's not really comparing apples to apples.

 

5.) I think Royal has more to do for kids who are somewhat aging out of the kids clubs. Flowriders, iceskating, rock climbing, mini golf.

 

6.) shows. I think that depends on what boat you are on. Disney shows are great if you like shows geared towards kids. I'm talking about the main shows. They were very well done but with my girls being 10 and 13 now, we are over it.

 

7.) Characters. Going on the allure soon so I can't comment. The disney boat was a great way to meet characters before going to Disney. You can turn in a frame, paper, pillow case, etc to the front desk on Day one and get all the signatures and have it returned to you on the last day. We found that the waits to see characters were long but sometimes you would run into them randomly.

 

8.) Disney was one of the quietest ships I've ever been on. They do a great job of enforcing adults only and its amazing how the adult pool backs right up to the kids yet there is no noise between the two. I really think the kids clubs are so good that you just don't see tons of kids on board.

 

Debbie

 

Good points..however, you are incorrect about the breakfast buffets..RCI does NOT have Eggs Benedict in the Windjammer...for that, you must go to the dining room breakfast & order it..for an Eggs B. fanatic like me, this is CRUCIAL!!..I also disagree about the main production shows like "Villains"- I 'm 61 with NO kids and we thought all 4 shows on the Dream were spectacular for any age...the singing & dancing were waaayyy beyond anything on RCI IMO...also the Palo brunch is in one word- AMAZING! If you've never tried it, you have missed one of the best pleasures in life...so worth the lousy $20 pp, it would cost easily $75 pp anywhere else..speaking of dining, RCI should follow Disney's rotation dining concept- how cool was that to go to a different dining venue every night AND have your wait staff greet you at your new place every night in a completely different atmosphere..I thought it was way more fun the the same place every night all the other lines do...you make good comparison points..The Allure is great, although I did not like Chicago, the play...Hairspray was fantastic on Oasis, and both the diving show & ice-skating shows are not to be missed..great arcade room for the teens & kids..also, remember, the Oasis class ships are almost 100,000 tons bigger than the larger Disney ships, so, sure, there's more to do on there..BUT, I love the Disney service, and we thought the Dream was gorgeous- how about the outside walk around promenade deck on deck 4? There is NO walk around promenade on Oasis/ Allure..big mistake IMO...really missed going out at night & seeing the sea..don't miss Central Park AT NIGHT..really cool out there with the stars above..finally, I thought the Disney sailaway party on the pool deck is still THEE best sailaway party on the Seven Seas with all the disney characters dressed & dancing..we did the Wonder in '06 and the Dream last Nov..both sailaways were a blast!!.just my HO...

 

Big Al

Edited August 27, 2014 by big al
one more point

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Palo is now $25 for dinner or brunch. Still a FANTASTIC deal!

[big al]

Palo is now $25 for dinner or brunch. Still a FANTASTIC deal!

 

Yes, it is...did you try the brunch? We didn't eat till dinner after that, lol...

[yj_eugene]

Price!!!

 

And it's a classic case of getting what you pay for. Disney is an entertainment company with cruise ships; Royal is a cruise ship company with entertainment. Disney is a resort on a ship; Royal is a ship with a resort. And it doesn't have to be expensive. Like any other cruises, diligent planning, monitoring and flexibility can result in significant savings.

[ummgood]

4. Pools are very small for some reason. The kids bob up and down in the water like corks as they have no room to swim.

 

We called it the whack-a-mole simulator.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

Disney cabins are among the LARGEST at sea..even the smallest balcony cabins are 204 SF..all other standard balcony cabins are 170-199 SF just an FYI..ours was 299 SF ( Cat 4A) and it was thee best cabin of all our 29 cruises that was NOT a Jr. suite or mini-suite..bathrooms were easily the biggest & best we had..the RAIN shower was unbelievable and the 2 bathrooms concept also was fantastic...I'm glad you mentioned the shows at night- BEST shows I've ever seen as far as musical productions go, along with Hairspray on Oasis..best singers & dancers I've ever seen... best MDR food we've had ( I thought it blew away RCI for MDR food)..Palo had the best brunch on a ship ever ( amazing for dinner as well..)...best buffet breakfast in Cabanas we've had...best service on any ship we had..yes, they play Disney music all the time, but that's a given- just like the Magic Kingdom does...I was 61 when I went with DW, no kids and I felt wonderful the entire 4 days on board..not to mention Disney has by FAR the best private island IMO, Castaway Cay...a destination by itself, it is divine...the adult beach ( Serenity Beach) is just fantastic...I'm Diamond on RCI, but Disney is just a fantastic cruise experience IMO...remember, their ships ( Dream & Fantasy) are virtually ranked # 1 & 2 in every major category on CC and the Fantasy has a 98% rating- highest of any ship on this site..( Reflection is #2 at 92%)...just be prepared for a lot of DISNEY...can you tell we had a good time on the Dream last Nov???

 

Big Al

 

 

I guess I remember the room size incorrectly then. What I remember was right after we would walk out of the bathroom we ran straight into the king sized bed. There was this narrow little area to walk around the bed between the desk and then the room opened back up again with a coach and tv area. It just always felt crowded in there to me and my wife. I am sure you right on the square footage, but it sure did not feel like a large room when we were in it.

[createmem]

We found Disney to do a great job with kids activities much like Royal does, but were frustrated on teen offerings. Too many of the activities week for under age 12 and over 18. This left our 16 year old with much less of an experience. Disney does a great job with entertainment. I like not having a casino on Disney, and the newer ships have an amazing spa. For a fee, you can have acres to a private, adults only sun deck, hot tubs, heated lounge chairs. It was a great quiet place to read and relax. Disneys pool areas lack a lot. Quite small for ships their size and poorly designed. Food was amazing though!

[big al]

I guess I remember the room size incorrectly then. What I remember was right after we would walk out of the bathroom we ran straight into the king sized bed. There was this narrow little area to walk around the bed between the desk and then the room opened back up again with a coach and tv area. It just always felt crowded in there to me and my wife. I am sure you right on the square footage, but it sure did not feel like a large room when we were in it.

 

Unless you're in a suite, or jr/ mini suite, most cabins still feel a bit tight, I agree..but the 4A cabins are nice, they are 299 SF, next up ( cat 5 ) is 249 SF, smallest ( cat 6) are 204 SF on the Dream / Fantasy..on the Magic or Wonder, balcony cabins are actually a bit bigger..were you talking about balcony cabins or inside/ outside only?..

 

Big Al

[debbs0723]

Good points..however, you are incorrect about the breakfast buffets..RCI does NOT have Eggs Benedict in the Windjammer...for that, you must go to the dining room breakfast & order it..for an Eggs B. fanatic like me, this is CRUCIAL!!..I also disagree about the main production shows like "Villains"- I 'm 61 with NO kids and we thought all 4 shows on the Dream were spectacular for any age...the singing & dancing were waaayyy beyond anything on RCI IMO...also the Palo brunch is in one word- AMAZING! If you've never tried it, you have missed one of the best pleasures in life...so worth the lousy $20 pp, it would cost easily $75 pp anywhere else..speaking of dining, RCI should follow Disney's rotation dining concept- how cool was that to go to a different dining venue every night AND have your wait staff greet you at your new place every night in a completely different atmosphere..I thought it was way more fun the the same place every night all the other lines do...you make good comparison points..The Allure is great, although I did not like Chicago, the play...Hairspray was fantastic on Oasis, and both the diving show & ice-skating shows are not to be missed..great arcade room for the teens & kids..also, remember, the Oasis class ships are almost 100,000 tons bigger than the larger Disney ships, so, sure, there's more to do on there..BUT, I love the Disney service, and we thought the Dream was gorgeous- how about the outside walk around promenade deck on deck 4? There is NO walk around promenade on Oasis/ Allure..big mistake IMO...really missed going out at night & seeing the sea..don't miss Central Park AT NIGHT..really cool out there with the stars above..finally, I thought the Disney sailaway party on the pool deck is still THEE best sailaway party on the Seven Seas with all the disney characters dressed & dancing..we did the Wonder in '06 and the Dream last Nov..both sailaways were a blast!!.just my HO...

 

Big Al

Yes. I forgot to mention that we did go to PALO for lunch and dinner and both were amazing.