only sailed on Carnival..will i like Disney?

[Host Mick]

Kimmy that whole RCCL tread has been removed. I guess it got too offensive. I will say this your daughter's post wasn't nearly as terrible as some of the others-all she said was that she had had some bad experiences with RCCL and Carnival was better. Compared to the others hers was tame and I ASSUME these others were adults. Ofcourse if they let a 14 year old kid make them that mad they must not be too adult huh?

It's amazing what people will say inline that they would never dream of saying in-person. It's the security of not having to look into someone's eyes.

Folks are very defensive of "their" cruise line or ship so much that they feel the need to defend it whenever they feel that it is under attack. Here at Cruise Critic, we like a lively discussion about the pros and cons of various lines, ships, ports and even cruise directors and buffets, but not so when it spills-over into into personal criticisms of other posters. That just makes people feel bad and they drop out of the discussuin or off of the boards and we all lose another view. We encourage you to use the litle triangle "Report Bad Post" icon so that we can keep the discussion lively, informative and fun yet civil.

[kshabare]

My countdown is 166 days to my 5th Disney Cruise. We started with the 3 day land-4 day sea which at that time was The Magic. I fell in love with it. I stayed at WDW again in December 2003 and I prefer to just sail. The $$ is definately more on DCL but you're paying for certain things. The ship is gorgeous. I love the architecture in the Walt Disney Theatre. The woodwork is beautiful. I always see them painting or cleaning something. The shows are somewhat repeating year after year but I get a kick out of them. Plenty of adult sarcasm/humor that I adore. Kids should enjoy this ship. If they don't I would look to the child for a reason, not DCL. There are plenty of family activities but don't expect rock climbing and an indoor ice rink. I can do that back home. Staterooms are very roomy. We've stayed in the Secret Porthole Rooms 2/4 times so far and they are great. There are two seperate bathrooms so while someone is showering you can relieve yourself in the other. Just watch out - I heard someone got flushed once(joking!). Tips are not included so if you prefer to spread tips more appropriately, you can. We usually give more to our server and room steward. I think they're all great with kids and very personable.

Sailing DCL is a preference and one might say a state of mind. I am a complainer but I have to say if there ever was a problem I've brought it to someone's attention to rectify the situation. I cannot recall a specific problem that stays in my memory bank. They're all happy and fun memories. There was this meltdown my DS8 had one night but we put him to bed at 9:30 pm and we fell fast asleep behind him.

 

Anyone having specific questions, please ask. I have links to two of my cruises on my personal site.

http://www.shabbyfam.us/EasternCarribean2002/sailaway.html

http://www.shabbyfam.us/WesternCarribeanFeb2003/DayoneWestern03.html

 

Thanks for letting me give my opinon,

 

Kim ºOº

[hilltopfamily]

Hi Cruisekimmy~~~We've been on a couple of the same ships as you! We did our DCL Magic cruise first, then did the 2 on Carnival that you've also been on. Don't you just love the Elation?? Really just a wonderful ship! Anyway, I'm in agreement with a lot of what Hydster said (Hi there hydster, I remember posting over on disboards and reading your replies/threads over there!).

 

My kids were 6, 9, and 12 when we were on the Magic. They all liked it a lot and especially enjoyed the movie theater. I'm sure your youngest would have a great time. My 2 oldest didn't care much about the disney shows or the characters, but my 6 year old did. Freshwater pools on DCL are great, but the disney ones were really small & way more crowded all the time vs. on CCL. Tradeoff though is that it is all saltwater on CCL. My "middle" kid (our only boy) continues to think the Magic was our best cruise--mostly because he loved the movie theater and better videogame availability in the kids club on the Magic. My other 2 have had equally as good times on our CCL cruises, and they ESPECIALLY loved the karoke NIGHTLY on CCL vs. only a couple short times on Disney (which was so crowded w/kids in Studio Sea that they almost didn't get to do a single song), so the "nod" would probably go to CCL for them. As adults, my DH & I enjoyed our Carnival cruises a bit more than our Disney cruise, but we truly had a great time on all 3. We just found "more" to do for our age on CCL. And we really thought the food was much, much better on CCL vs. Disney. Dining room was beautiful and food was outstanding in the dining room. Buffet on both were equal, meaning decent & edible but nothing fantastic. Palo is DCL's reservation-only adult dining area (costs extra $$) and is a great experience---Elation had no adult-only dining venue. Disney does have the private island, which appeals to many, but to me lacks the "culture" and appeal of visiting a real port of call. Castaway Cay is beautiful, but is commercialized Disney at its' best.

 

So, to summarize all my rambling thoughts: both cruiselines in general have their good & not-so-good points when comparing one to the other, and you'll have a great time with either one, but I'd have to say the significantly higher cost to cruise DCL just wasn't worth it in my family's opinion. We've had great times on CCL for less than 50% of what we paid Disney for a very similar experience. I would easily sail with disney again, but I don't feel it is worth paying a premium for the experience. I'm sure if you do go with DCL you'll have a lovely time, but you may just spend a bit more for it.

[zeke11]

We just returned from the Disney Wonder. Paying so much extra, I expected some pretty great customer service so I was very disappointed that it was less than shining.

 

 

Now I'm looking into another cruise just to make it up to my family. Definitely disappointed with our Disney experience and I am a diehard Disney fanatic.

 

Kris

[MrPete]

Go for it.

 

I always tell people to try Disney once. It's just a different experience. There are some things that are better and some that are worse when you compare the two, but you would expect that.

 

Then book your next Carnival cruise.

[momofmeg]

Well Kimmie we are back from our cruise and my Meg loved Disney. There is plenty of entertainment for everyone. Now Meg is too old for the teen club but she was never bored.

 

One thing too ws how nice the wonder is compared to Carnival ships. It was much nicer construction and decoarated great. It was every bit as nice as the HAL Statendam was-that was a beautiful ship but I found HAl too sedate for us. wonder had plenty going on besides being beautiful.

 

I loved Carnival Miracle and for the most part felt she was much nicer decorated then the other Carnival ships I have been on-but she did not hold a candle to the Wonder. On Miracle we had an extended balcony which was nice but noises and ciegerette smoke carried there. Every time someone opened their balcony door we heard it as the sound of the suction breaking was loud. wonder's doors were sliding doors that did not make a lot of noise when they were opened. the bathrooms on Miracle were dinky not as nice as the fanasty class ships. On wonder we had 2 bathrooms-both small-true- but one was a sink and toilet-the other a sink and BATHTUB not shower. Wonder also had a privacy curtain-so my daughter and hubby did not have to use the bathroom to dress in. We simply closed the privacy curtain so they could change clothes. So much nicer. Plus we had tons of drawers and closet space-more then enough room for 3 people-much, much better then ANY line we have been on.

 

One thing I found neat too was we saw a great Beatle's tribute show on the Miracle in their broadway style show. On the Wonder - the Route 66 lounge had a great Beatle's tribute show-we really enjoyed both of these as we are (hubby and I) of the age where we loved the Beatles growing up and STILL love all the old Beatle's songs.

[Pixie Dust II]

That is hard to say. There are things for children of all ages including teens. The teenages have their own private club called "The Stack" which looks neat to me. The best bet is to get on line and check it out. If I had a 4 year old and took cruise vacations, I surely would be doing a Disney Cruise. I have done 6 and number 7 and 8 are already booked. We have dined with parents who have said they have not seen their teenagers until bedtime and the children love it. I know teens and they all have different tastes, but don't let your little one miss out on this. It is just the best experience ever for the entire family.

[cruislovin]

We just returned from the Disney Wonder. Paying so much extra, I expected some pretty great customer service so I was very disappointed that it was less than shining.

 

Now I'm looking into another cruise just to make it up to my family. Definitely disappointed with our Disney experience and I am a diehard Disney fanatic. Kris

Kris,

Can you tell me more about the customer service on the Wonder? What types of problems did you have?

 

We love Royal Caribbean and my daughter, age 12, is concerned she will be bored on Disney. We are taking only a 3 night cruise so it should be fine for a few days. It doesn't look like there is much to do for 'tweens or teens on DCL if they do not participate in the organized clubs. Typically she does not do that. She loves the sports deck, rock climbing, mini golf, roller blading, ice skating, etc. on RCCL. She will not go to a pool that is crowded with little children. Do you know else will be available for her to do on Disney?

[momofmeg]

Kris,

Can you tell me more about the customer service on the Wonder? What types of problems did you have?

 

We love Royal Caribbean and my daughter, age 12, is concerned she will be bored on Disney. We are taking only a 3 night cruise so it should be fine for a few days. It doesn't look like there is much to do for 'tweens or teens on DCL if they do not participate in the organized clubs. Typically she does not do that. She loves the sports deck, rock climbing, mini golf, roller blading, ice skating, etc. on RCCL. She will not go to a pool that is crowded with little children. Do you know else will be available for her to do on Disney?

 

Read all of Zeke's posts in his profile. He was on one of the cruise that could not do Castaway Key and he was upset about that. In hurricane season that can happen on any cruise. On the RCCL board I read a post where someone was mad because Enchanment of the Seas did not go to Labadee and they thought because of this they should have a refund.

 

I have cruised hurricane season many times. I go knowing things may not work out well but I do it because the price is almost half the normal cost-it is worth it to me to take a chance and even if I just spend every day out at sea II am happy.

 

No there is no roller blading or iceskating shows on Disney. Also no rock climbing either. As far as I know only RCCL offers this and most of that is only on a voyager class ship-so maybe you should have cosen either Mariner or Sovereign.

 

One thing you have to understand cruiseloving is every cruiseline has their plus and minuses. I have been on 5 lines and I have never hated ANY cruise. Do I prefer one over another-yes to some extent-but even so I still do not want to go with the same line every time but I like the cruise fairly often and normally that is my choice of vacation. In the last 6 years we have cruised 9 times.

 

I will tell you this. I have been on Sovereign twice. She was a decent ship but SHE DID NOT HOLD A CANDLE TO THE WONDER. When it comes to Coco Cay-the island was nice but compared to Castaway Key they are not even in the same league. Coco Cay was a nice beach. Castaway Key was more like a private resort. So you could pick Sovereign and she could rock climb-(all the other stuff you mentioned is only on voyager class ships) or you can pick Disney. Or else do a 7 day cruise on Mariner.

[momofmeg]

Another great thing about Disney that no one has mentioned. DEBARKTATION. We were off the Wonder BEFORE 8 a.m. That has never happened to us on any other line. The earliest we have ever got off was 10 a.m. often is has been closer to noon.

 

I do know that for others who had to debark in Ft. Lauderdale (Sept.23 Wonder) and the evening before (Sept.18 Magic) because of Jeanne that that was not so nice for them-but I understand from reading posts at disboards.com that normally the debarktation is a breeze and so much better then other lines.

 

I imagine on other lines where hurricanes affected their arrival back in port and diff. ports etc. that their debarktation was worse then usual also.

[cruislovin]

Another great thing about Disney that no one has mentioned. DEBARKTATION. We were off the Wonder BEFORE 8 a.m. That has never happened to us on any other line. The earliest we have ever got off was 10 a.m. often is has been closer to noon.

 

I don't think debarking before 8:00 AM is an advantage. On RCCL we like to get up as late as we can, leave our cabin as late as possibl, go to the dininig room for breakfast, and then hang out on the ship as long as we can. Why get up in the middle of the night to rush to breakfast at an assigned time and hurry off the ship? To me this sounds like a VERY stressful end to a relaxing vacation.

 

This will definitely be a different cruise for my daughter and me on DCL. She wanted to try it so we decided to make a mother/daughter adventure. Because of that, I am really looking forward to going to have this special time for just her and me. My husband and son have no interest in the Disney Cruise Line at all... I am glad we are only going for 3 nights to give it a try. I will post my comparison when we return.

[Host Mick]

My husband and son have no interest in the Disney Cruise Line at all... I am glad we are only going for 3 nights to give it a try. I will post my comparison when we return.

Enjoy your cruise...and watch out for that Pixie dust! ;)

[cruislovin]

The Pixie dust will definitely do us in, I am sure!!! :rolleyes: :) :p

[OJulie67]

We haven't sailed Carnival yet. We are booked in May 2005. However, we did sail Disney in May. The kids club was OUTSTANDING...could not get my DD out of there. Shows were excellent Disney form. However, Disney does not offer enough for my DH and I in a form of nightlife. There is no casino, the shows are wonderful, but more "family oriented." The dance clubs were not good dance music. (If your kids are in the clubs you may be looking for more adult entertainment, comedy...etc) The food was not great...so it left us, a bit hungry and bored at night. That is just my honest opinion. If you are an early to bed couple who don't like gambling and drinking much...then go for it. If you live for the nightlife and love the casino, if you like adult comedy, a hip club and DJ, then stick with Carnival...or I am afraid you may be dissappointed and out extra $$$. As for us, we probably won't do Disney again. That is just OUR experience. I know that Disney is a wonderful line. The kids clubs again, are beyond wonderful!!!

[cruislovin]

OJulie67.

 

How did Disney and Royal Caribbean compare in your opinion?

[OJulie67]

cruislovin'~ We had a BALL on RCCL. The food was EXCELLENT. Everything we had was delicious. The Casino was alot of fun for us. The on board activites, comedians, shows and shops, seattle's best coffee shop, and Ben and Jerry's all lead to a really fun time.

The ship was smaller of course, the rooms were VERY small (however, we are comparing a verandah room on Disney to an inside cabin on RCCL) But overall...we had more fun on the 3 day RC than the 7 day land and sea with Disney. JMHO~

I'm 120 lbs drippin' wet, I eat healthy year round...BUT when I go on vacation, I'm all about the food and desserts. RCCL did not dissappoint! EVERYTHING was delicious and fresh! They get a bad rap for the food, and that...I just don't understand!
BIG thumbs up for RCCL.:p

[punknhead]

We did Disney in Sept. of 2001 and absolutley loved everything about the 7 day Magic (Eastern). My kids at the time were 3.5.and 8.5 and both had a great time. This was hubby and my first cruise as well, and decided that cruising was to be our family vacations. (we got the cruising bug, bad!)

Because I am a teacher we cannot sail off peak times, and Disney has been too expensive for our family.
Sooo...the next year we tried Holland America. Classy ships, food and accomodations, but not the kid-friendly atmosphere we had on Disney, of course.

I went on a short RCCL cruise off the west coast with a girlfriend, and was not impressed.

A pleasant surprise was a Carnival Glory cruise we took last Spring Break. Great food, good kid program, awesome itinerary (western) and a great price!

We did give up some elegance for some tacky glitz, and few other inconveniences, but not worth the $$ we would have to pay for a summer or holiday Disney cruise. We'd love to do Disney again, before the kids get older, but I am not sure that is in the cards.

As a side note, a friend just got off the Magic Saturday, and said the food on CCL was much better than on Disney (and they are foodies). I was disappointing to hear. Hope DCL is not falling below expected standards!


Punknhead

[cruislovin]

[quote name='OJulie67']cruislovin'~ We had a BALL on RCCL. The food was EXCELLENT. Everything we had was delicious. The Casino was alot of fun for us. The on board activites, comedians, shows and shops, seattle's best coffee shop, and Ben and Jerry's all lead to a really fun time.

The ship was smaller of course, the rooms were VERY small (however, we are comparing a verandah room on Disney to an inside cabin on RCCL) But overall...we had more fun on the 3 day RC than the 7 day land and sea with Disney. JMHO~

I'm 120 lbs drippin' wet, I eat healthy year round...BUT when I go on vacation, I'm all about the food and desserts. RCCL did not dissappoint! EVERYTHING was delicious and fresh! They get a bad rap for the food, and that...I just don't understand!
BIG thumbs up for RCCL.:p[/QUOTE]I agree with you that RCCL takes a bad rap for the food. Occasionally I have had something in the dining room that I did not like but you can ALWAYS get something else if you ask. I don't understand why people constantly complain about the food on RCCL! I'm with you - when I am on vacation I EAT! Sure hope we are not disappointed with DCL, but it is only a 3-nite and my daughter and I really want to try it!;)

[momofmeg]

[quote name='OJulie67']We haven't sailed Carnival yet. We are booked in May 2005. However, we did sail Disney in May. The kids club was OUTSTANDING...could not get my DD out of there. Shows were excellent Disney form. However, Disney does not offer enough for my DH and I in a form of nightlife. There is no casino, the shows are wonderful, but more "family oriented." The dance clubs were not good dance music. (If your kids are in the clubs you may be looking for more adult entertainment, comedy...etc) The food was not great...so it left us, a bit hungry and bored at night. That is just my honest opinion. If you are an early to bed couple who don't like gambling and drinking much...then go for it. If you live for the nightlife and love the casino, if you like adult comedy, a hip club and DJ, then stick with Carnival...or I am afraid you may be dissappointed and out extra $$$. As for us, we probably won't do Disney again. That is just OUR experience. I know that Disney is a wonderful line. The kids clubs again, are beyond wonderful!!![/QUOTE]

Well I do not gamble. To me that is just a way to waste money and I have read many posts that that is why they like Disney. They say although Disney is more up front that after going to the casino they end up spending more on other lines.I can't help but think of that poor woman on voyager back in August who jumped ship and killed herself. she would have been better off on Disney for sure.

We loved both the piano bar-the Cadillac lounge and also Route 66 which had a great band and a super Beatle's tribute show. Both of these were adult only lounges and we thought the nightlife was just fine. So maybe there is no casino but there are great lounges for adults.

cruiselovin as I have said to you already-if you could just get over the fear that you will have a horrible time and be more open minded-you can have a good time. Disney has many plusses.

I never noticed RCCL food being that bad either-but then my experience both times was Sovereign. You do get a better quality of food on Princess, HAL and Disney though. I also noticed when on the Carnival Miracle that the food was MUCH better then other Carnival ships. I assumed this was because this being a brand new ship-Carnival had pulled out all the stops. There was much more choices of entertainment with all kinds of bands,piano players, a guitar player etc. in like 5 or 6 different lounges. We just made the rounds on her as there were so many choices.

I myself can have a good time on ANY ship. Although we are on the Marnier next fall-we are also considering doing a mini on Carnival Holiday in the spring. Now I know that is an old cr&*py ship but I know I can still have a good time on her. I just won't expect as much from her.

Now if you want to be on a ship with louzy nightlife-that is HAL. Her food and service was excellent. So were her shows -but after the shows if you did not gamble there was nothing.