Royal vs Disney

[dvcdisney]

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

 

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

 

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

 

We've never taken a vacation without our kids...strange I know. They're 15 and 10 this year and they've gone with us whenever and wherever we've vacationed. Actually, Disney wasn't about the kids...sure they love it. But it has always been mine and my husband's choice. They'd be fine if we went somewhere else, but the Disney cruises have been great...on the other hand, WDW is another story (increasing numbers of rude people have changed our view and enjoyment of our WDW trips).

 

Anyway, if we did ever choose to go on a cruise without our kids, we'd go on DCL again. We're not interested in the characters or the clubs or bars (since neither of us drink), but we do appreciate the great service. I hope we have the same service on the Allure.

[dvcdisney]

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

Never understood all the excessive Disney fascination everyone else sees.

I was 31 the only time I went to Disneyworld.

And have no intention on going anytime soon.

We are more "Universal Studios" people any day.

 

Although their ships look pretty nice....

 

DCL ships are gorgeous, inside and out!

 

And I love the cushioned lounge chairs everywhere (not just suite guests)

 

My mom has been on the Allure and she mentioned that she missed the DCL lounge chairs.

[dvcdisney]

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

 

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

 

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

 

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That's great to hear! :) We're trying Allure for the first time in March and I hope my kids enjoy it as much as Disney cruises.

[dvcdisney]

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

 

Us too!

 

But since the Casino on Allure is on the lower decks and something we will pass by every day, I think we'll be able to avoid it.

[mollyeilis]

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

When we were on Freedom, we waved over at the Dream but didn't want to be over there. Freedom was lovely and we already were enjoying the cruise even at muster.

 

Once on Freedom and once on Vision, and my son is now sold on Adventure Ocean. It's so much easier (but just as secure) to check in and out, the counselors really get to know the kids (especially if you're going at a time when there aren't tons of kids), and he has just had a blast there. He liked the Lab on the first two Dream cruises, but this time it wasn't as great for him. It's possible that he's just getting ready to go to Edge. But Adventure Ocean has the same age ranges for a 10 year old, so....

[2thesea]

We sail 2 to 3 times a year and at least one of those cruises will be on Disney. We've have sailed on Royal 15+ times with the most recent on the Grandeur this past May to Bermuda. One of the biggest differences between Disney and Royal (IMHO) is the over all condition of the ship. On the Grandeur the Solarium which is "adults only" really? KIDS every where every single day I was there. Disney is on top of any kids in the adults only area. Over all condition of the ship? Grandeur's pool area is in disrepair, broken steps, rust, scum line, old dirty fake flowers....etc. This is something you just (or at least I have not in my 20+ cruises on DCL) see on Disney. Disney's attention to details and customer service is by far the best in the business. Disney....I can bring as much booze on board as I would like, period! Pricing, currently I am booked on the FOS in December, and if I booked Disney for the same date TODAY the price is almost exactly the same for the same cabin type. Cabin size on DCL.......100% better than Royal.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Royal too, but I have to admit Disney most often does it better.

 

Side note: My oldest daughter (26yrs old) has a severe disability, Disney goes out of their way to make sure we have everything we need, Royal not so much.

[ang73]

We sail 2 to 3 times a year and at least one of those cruises will be on Disney. We've have sailed on Royal 15+ times with the most recent on the Grandeur this past May to Bermuda. One of the biggest differences between Disney and Royal (IMHO) is the over all condition of the ship. On the Grandeur the Solarium which is "adults only" really? KIDS every where every single day I was there. Disney is on top of any kids in the adults only area. Over all condition of the ship? Grandeur's pool area is in disrepair, broken steps, rust, scum line, old dirty fake flowers....etc. This is something you just (or at least I have not in my 20+ cruises on DCL) see on Disney. Disney's attention to details and customer service is by far the best in the business. Disney....I can bring as much booze on board as I would like, period! Pricing, currently I am booked on the FOS in December, and if I booked Disney for the same date TODAY the price is almost exactly the same for the same cabin type. Cabin size on DCL.......100% better than Royal.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Royal too, but I have to admit Disney most often does it better.

 

Side note: My oldest daughter (26yrs old) has a severe disability, Disney goes out of their way to make sure we have everything we need, Royal not so much.

 

Thats interesting about the adults only area on the Grandeur. Because on freedom last week there were NO kids hanging out in there. We had a forward room and had to walk through the adults only area to get to the main pool area. Every time we walked through I had to convince my kids it was okay to walk through because they said it was so quiet and it was only adults and everyone was staring at them when we walked through.

 

Also I have found that service varies even within Cruise Line. Our worst service ever was in the dining room on fantasy. And our best ever was on Freedom of the Seas. We had the most amazing waiters on Freedom of the Seas

 

Don't get me wrong, I would happily cruise Disney or Royal Caribbean again. But I don't think Disney service is always better.

 

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[tweis]

We've never taken a vacation without our kids...strange I know. They're 15 and 10 this year and they've gone with us whenever and wherever we've vacationed. Actually, Disney wasn't about the kids...sure they love it. But it has always been mine and my husband's choice. They'd be fine if we went somewhere else, but the Disney cruises have been great...on the other hand, WDW is another story (increasing numbers of rude people have changed our view and enjoyment of our WDW trips).

 

Anyway, if we did ever choose to go on a cruise without our kids, we'd go on DCL again. We're not interested in the characters or the clubs or bars (since neither of us drink), but we do appreciate the great service. I hope we have the same service on the Allure.

 

 

We are a blended family so our children are with their other parent for about half of the summer so my DH and I take a week's vacation without them. Of course, we still take them on vacation but we do vacation without them also. DCL was our choice for our solo cruise last year because we had an idea of what to expect having been on the Dream for 5 nights the previous year. We did not explore the adult areas on that cruise and thought it would be a great opportunity to see some things that we missed. My DH loves laying around the pool relaxing all day but that just is not me....I like to be doing things. lol We just did not find that many things to do on our sea day but we had spectacular service. Unfortunately when we sailed this past April on the Magic, that was not the case. We had issues with our room steward and major problems with our dining rotation being printed on our KTTW card incorrectly and no one correcting it until we are sitting in the wrong MDR. I also did not care for being scolded by my server for not eating in the MDR and instead choosing to eat in Cabanas. :confused: We love cruising DCL but this last cruise really left a bad taste in my mouth. Over all we enjoyed the cruise, but it was not what we have come to expect from Disney. I'm certain that we will cruise Disney again in the future, I plan to cruise to Alaska with them in a couple of years, but right now I think we need a Disney break. We've did the parks and cruises for the last few years and I just think we are ready to give something else a try. We may absolutely hate Royal but I feel we need to at least give them a try. :D

[vacation_junkie]

We sail 2 to 3 times a year and at least one of those cruises will be on Disney. We've have sailed on Royal 15+ times with the most recent on the Grandeur this past May to Bermuda. One of the biggest differences between Disney and Royal (IMHO) is the over all condition of the ship. On the Grandeur the Solarium which is "adults only" really? KIDS every where every single day I was there. Disney is on top of any kids in the adults only area. Over all condition of the ship? Grandeur's pool area is in disrepair, broken steps, rust, scum line, old dirty fake flowers....etc. This is something you just (or at least I have not in my 20+ cruises on DCL) see on Disney. Disney's attention to details and customer service is by far the best in the business.

 

 

The worst customer service we have had to date was with Disney. We have sailed various lines many times. Disney usually provides a good product. USUALLY!

 

Have you been on the newly refurbished Magic? We found the word refurbished to be a joke.

 

 

Our stateroom was falling apart. Carpet trim falling off the wall. Lampshades broken. Mold in the bathtub / shower. Rusty balcony. Air conditioner had to be worked on during 3 different nights. Toilet stopped working on and off during the entire cruise.

 

Our Dining experience was atrocious! Cold undercooked veggies. Over cooked meat. Drinks arriving when our entrees were almost done. 2 nights my sons chocolate milk not arriving at all. We mentioned it to the head waiter and he didn't seem to care. Dirty water glasses with lipstick around the rim. When we asked for clean a one we were met with a huff.

 

We put money on our account ahead of time. It took 78 days for them to refund the money that was left over.

 

Was it a magical experience? Not at all.

 

When we got off the ship our DS commented on how it was the worse cruise he's been on.

 

While you may have had an awesome experience each time other have not. Each cruise line has their own faults. Would I recommend someone to try DCL..Absolutely in a heart beat. But for us. We will never sail them again.

[2thesea]

The worst customer service we have had to date was with Disney. We have sailed various lines many times. Disney usually provides a good product. USUALLY!

 

Have you been on the newly refurbished Magic? We found the word refurbished to be a joke.

 

 

Our stateroom was falling apart. Carpet trim falling off the wall. Lampshades broken. Mold in the bathtub / shower. Rusty balcony. Air conditioner had to be worked on during 3 different nights. Toilet stopped working on and off during the entire cruise.

 

Our Dining experience was atrocious! Cold undercooked veggies. Over cooked meat. Drinks arriving when our entrees were almost done. 2 nights my sons chocolate milk not arriving at all. We mentioned it to the head waiter and he didn't seem to care. Dirty water glasses with lipstick around the rim. When we asked for clean a one we were met with a huff.

 

We put money on our account ahead of time. It took 78 days for them to refund the money that was left over.

 

Was it a magical experience? Not at all.

 

When we got off the ship our DS commented on how it was the worse cruise he's been on.

 

While you may have had an awesome experience each time other have not. Each cruise line has their own faults. Would I recommend someone to try DCL..Absolutely in a heart beat. But for us. We will never sail them again.

 

As you mentioned every cruise line has their issues. I would never make a decision to not sail on any particular cruise line or ship for that matter based on one sailing/experience. :D

 

should add no we have not sailed not he refurbed Magic - but have sailed her many times as well as all (4) ships in the small Disney fleet, we love them all and all for different reasons.

 

Talk about bad refurb....Grandeur of the Seas. Not sure what they did as it was not at all obvious.

Edited October 31, 2014 by 2thesea

[notsomadhatter]

As you mentioned every cruise line has their issues. I would never make a decision to not sail on any particular cruise line or ship for that matter based on one sailing/experience. :D

 

I would, however, not continue to sail on a line based on multiple overall negative experiences AND prices being 40-50% higher in two years. Fifteen cruises in, Disney is doing that to us and we're cutting them off. Our last two sailings will include a vow renewal and a wedding so it's definitely attending for the sake of our friends, not out of our own personal desire to sail them again.

Edited October 31, 2014 by notsomadhatter

[2thesea]

I would, however, not continue to sail on a line based on multiple overall negative experiences AND prices being 40-50% higher in two years. Fifteen cruises in, Disney is doing that to us and we're cutting them off. Our last two sailings will include a vow renewal and a wedding so it's definitely attending for the sake of our friends, not out of our own personal desire to sail them again.

 

Sad to hear that you have had negative experiences on Disney. As I mentioned we have had no issues of any kind on our 20+ cruises on DCL. As far as cost, I have never spent that much more on DCL - 5 to 10% more maybe but not more than that. We always book a verandah (accessible) most often. When I calculate the free soda and the ability to bring my own booze it's a break even for us. :D

[horric29]

I'm loyal to Royal and loyal to Disney. I hate to say it but, they are two different things. The "broadway" style shows are far and away 10x better than Royal. They show any Disney labeled movies onboard the ship starting release day in US theaters, sometimes there are special pre-release previews. The adult areas on Dream and Fantasy are revolutionary with changing skylines to different cities all around the world. The fireworks are fantastic and the water "coaster" is quite a blast on Dream and Fantasy. I was recently on the Magic refurb and their new slide was fantastic also. The theming on the mini golf is great and I've always found the staff to be phenomenal. Free soda also, none of this soda/juice package nonsense.

 

Royal certainly has a leg up on number of bars, different entertainment venues, and the casino but, I can't agree many other places. I love both and can't stand Carnival... To each their own! :D

[horric29]

Sad to hear that you have had negative experiences on Disney. As I mentioned we have had no issues of any kind on our 20+ cruises on DCL. As far as cost, I have never spent that much more on DCL - 5 to 10% more maybe but not more than that. We always book a verandah (accessible) most often. When I calculate the free soda and the ability to bring my own booze it's a break even for us. :D

 

Ah yes, forgot the free booze!

[Grandma Dazzles]

DCL ships are gorgeous, inside and out!

 

And I love the cushioned lounge chairs everywhere (not just suite guests)

 

My mom has been on the Allure and she mentioned that she missed the DCL lounge chairs.

 

Allure has cushioned lounge chairs for the use of all guests in the solarium. Not sure if they are like the DCL chairs, but they are very comfortable. Also llike they have cushioned chairs with footstools - easier to just sit and read rather than sunbathe.

[Donna_In_India]

I was really hoping to give the Oasis a try. Then I read in some thread here that the Freedom was a good choice. I went and read the reviews for both here on CC. The reviews - as well as many of the negative threads here - have scared me off. I can sail on the Fantasy - same time of year, same category - for about $500 more than the Oasis. For me that's a no brainer.

 

We all have different tastes, different needs, different priorities, so it's good that there are so many choices!

[sail2sea]

I am not a Disney fan. In fact, I kind of dislike Disney. So no Disney cruise for me. No brainer.

 

But if you like Disney and you like cruising, I think you owe it to yourself to give DCL a try. Most reviews are very positive.

Edited November 1, 2014 by sail2sea

[notsomadhatter]

Sad to hear that you have had negative experiences on Disney. As I mentioned we have had no issues of any kind on our 20+ cruises on DCL. As far as cost, I have never spent that much more on DCL - 5 to 10% more maybe but not more than that. We always book a verandah (accessible) most often. When I calculate the free soda and the ability to bring my own booze it's a break even for us. :D

 

We live an hour from Port Canaveral, are not tied to school schedules, are not tied to any particular room category (except on Disney I need an accessible room because they all have tubs and I just can't make the step). I always bring a manual wheelchair not matter what kind of room I'm sailing in. We don't drink the difference in cruise fare in soda or alcohol.

 

I research the heck out of what I'm sailing and when and trust me when I say, Disney is a significant price difference in 2015-2016 to Royal/X. If it was only 5-10% difference I probably wouldn't be here talking to you about it.

 

A recent example:

I can do a

 

1)Solstice class ship out of Miami in 2016 for 5 nights in a concierge balcony (with free drinks, including alcohol, plus $200 in obc)

 

2) Freedom for 7 nights in an ocean view (at today's prices).

 

3) For $300 more than either previous option a 5 night on the Wonder (smallest, not refurbed Disney ship) in an inside.

 

Disney definitely ranks 3rd in that list for me and is 20% higher in price when I consider all the factors. With the decline in service and food lately, the value just isn't there for us.

[JoeRum]

We have sailed Disney twice and Loved it. A few years away from cruising and we are hooked on RCCL. That said, we still look at doing another Disney cruise even though our children are grown. I was just looking at booking a Panama cruise and compared the prices and it would be cheaper on Disney. Any given cruise will have its ups and downs and to each his own. No matter what, the important thing is I am on a cruise and the email and cell phone are out of commission!!

[wendyatpml]

Our kids and grandsons took a Disney Cruise last year. It was their first cruise ever and loved it. They booked a 4 night cruise for this April. We decided to go along with them.

We just got off the Allure on Nov. 15. This was our first cruise on this class of ship. I loved it. I am going to compare it to Disney and then try to convince my kids and grandsons to give the Allure a try.

[RCI Cruisers 004]

We sailed on Wonder in Sept. and loved it for what it was ! We are kid less and enjoyed the adult areas, loved meeting the characters, thought the shows were a notch above anything we have seen on Royal. With that being said, we will definitely do another Disney in the future, but will never give up on Royal ! For us, there is so much more to do and see with Royal and we love the extra perks when we are onboard . We are very glad we tried Disney and will sail them when we can fit one in around our Royal schedule !

[vacation_junkie]

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

 

Our last Disney Cruise was the worst we've had in 25+ cruises. When we got off the ship our DS asked to never ever sail Disney again! :eek:

[UNV-IT!!!]

I find all this talk about value and Disney just a complete laugh. If you want a value sail carnival. Disney is a premium brand offering a premium product. They aren't trying to attract people who are worried about wowing their wallet. If your not a Disney fan you shouldn't sail Disney simple. Your already looking at it biased. The reality is Disney offers a superior product then Royal. That's not saying Royal doesn't offer better vacation packages for families. But when you compare straight apples to apples disney is superior. And that's coming from someone who is extremely loyal to Royal.

[notsomadhatter]

I find all this talk about value and Disney just a complete laugh. If you want a value sail carnival. Disney is a premium brand offering a premium product.

 

 

 

Haha. Not lately they're not.

 

Before you argue with me I've sailed on DCL sixteen times in the last five years. Their product is going up in price and down in quality.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[UNV-IT!!!]

Haha. Not lately they're not.

 

Before you argue with me I've sailed on DCL sixteen times in the last five years. Their product is going up in price and down in quality.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

Well I've sailed rccl more then 16 times and all my Disney experiences are more premium. Again you keep talking about value. Disney is NOT A VALUE LINE. They are not worried about saving you money. The argument is like trying to compare how courtyard Marriott's are on par with ritz carltons because they offer better value. You may not find it financially possible or viable anymore to travel Disney but that doesn't Mean they aren't a premium line. Facts are facts. They are high priced, they sail full because Disney fans will pay the premium for the Disney premium experience.