Disney vs. Royal Caribbean

I thought that I would provide a comparison between Disney and Royal Caribbean for those interested. We recently completed a 3-night trip on the Disney Magic, it had been 10 years since we sailed with Disney, as our youngest children are now teens. This trip we took our grown children, the teens and our grandkids (3 & 7). It had been so long, I had forgotten about all the little touches that Disney provides, that well, makes it Disney! So, here's my comparison, please note, that I'll be comparing one of Disney's smallest ships against RCCL's largest ships the Oasis and Allure.

I'll start with boarding, biggest difference is that Disney allows you to carry on alcohol. On RCCL, you can try to hide it in your luggage, however, if found, it will be taken, and you'll receive a nasty-gram. In addition, Disney provides free sodas at many self-serve locations around the ship, if you go to a bar, you will receive a can of soda for a dollar; on RCCL, you have to purchase a drink package and wait at the bar to get a drink, as there's limited self-serve locations.

Food - the dining room experience is much better with Disney, in my opinion, the food, service and venues were better. On Disney you rotate dining rooms, along with your servers, who are amazing, they know how to pace the meal based on who is in your party and how to keep kids amused during the meal. However, RCCL allows "my time dining" which means you can go to the dining room anytime, Disney doesn't have that choice. Cabanas vs. the Windjammer (buffets) again, Disney wins with Cabanas, the selection was amazing (crab claws and shrimp at lunch!). Room service on Disney also wins, many more selections and it is free 24 hours a day. RCCL has a charge for room service after mid-night. However, RCCL has MANY additional free venues for meals with a large variety of food selections. We did not eat at Palo's the specialty restaurant on Disney this time; however, we enjoyed it 10 years ago, RCCL's specialty restaurants are wonderful!

Staterooms - Disney wins, the layout of the room with separate rooms for shower/sink and commode/sink are genius! There was so much storage, that we had extra drawers! That has never happened on RCCL. The bunk beds which were hidden during the day, also genius. Bath products were wonderful on Disney, the shampoo on RCCL is in a large dispenser on the shower wall; Disney has a FULL shower and tub, RCCL has a "tube" shower. Disney provides handheld phones in the room that you can take with you to communicate with another phone and receive messages from the children area. RCCL offers a similar service, for a fee. However, the TV on RCCL is larger, although the movie selection on TV is better on Disney (of course). In addition, Disney has a dedicated movie theater, which shows movies back to back through the day; RCCL uses a theater venue, however, movies are shown a couple of times a day.

Pool area - The pools are comparable, both have a splash zone for younger kids. Disney has some great slides; however, RCCL has the flow riders (surfing) that my teens LOVE! Disney provides complimentary towels at the pool area, on RCCL, you have to check them out with your room key and a charge will be added to your bill if one is not turned back in.

Kids area - Disney's area for younger kids (11 and younger) is AMAZING! However, RCCL has a much better area and schedule for tween's and teen's and a much better sports zone.

Adult area - While Disney provides an adult area, it was never busy while we were on board. RCCL provides great entertainment in all of their lounges, Disney's was very lacking, which is probably why they were not very well attended. One night on Disney we went to the Elton John tribute and found a lady playing his music and singing in a different key and tempo.

Casino - Disney does not have a casino. RCCL has a huge casino with a no-smoking section!

Shows - Disney shows are geared toward children. RCCL has many venues along with a comedy club and an adult variety show. RCCL also has adult themed deck parties. Disney had a pirate deck party for families followed by fireworks - no fireworks on RCCL. Also, it was chilly the evening of the pirate party and Disney provided free blankets to all in attendance.

Another surprise perk on Disney, free rain ponchos to all when it was raining at one of the ports.

In conclusion, Disney is great for children, wonderful food and staterooms, thoughtful perks exactly what you would expect from Disney. RCCL is great for older children, variety of restaurant choices (free venues) great adult nightlife, casino and shows. So what cruise line will we sail next?? That's a good question! I wish that RCCL wouldn't charge for everything and take notes from Disney for the staterooms or that Disney would add options for older children, provide more venues for meals and add adult and lounge entertainment.

Whew!

Thanks for a great comparison. My only comment would be that on DCL cruises of 7 nights and longer there are variety performers doing adult shows after 10 in the nightclub area. These don't occur on short cruises.

OK, 2 comments....as you noted, you are comparing a "smallest ship" with a "biggest ship." On the Dream and Fantasy (bigger), DCL has the Aquaduck, a "water roller coaster" which I would call a great water ride.

Thank you for the review! When we went on the Disney cruise last year, we had already decided to try Allure but decided to go with Disney one more time. Your input provided me with some great things to think about!

I would like to check out the larger Disney ship for a 7 day; however, I would have to know for certain that there is plenty to keep teenagers busy, more food choices and an entertainment complex for adults. I really enjoyed the Disney perks, and wish I could combine the best of both cruise lines to create my perfect cruise!

The Dream has a larger adult entertainment area, but its up to the CD to see it used. They had some decent events in there. The Fantasy has a similar arrangement.

When it comes to teens, they had ok facilities as far as a club but nothing will match the physical activities on RCCL. That said, we took our 14 year old generally shy nephew on a Disney cruise, we saw him Day 1 dinner, then disembarkation breakfast....

I would like to check out the larger Disney ship for a 7 day; however, I would have to know for certain that there is plenty to keep teenagers busy, more food choices and an entertainment complex for adults. I really enjoyed the Disney perks, and wish I could combine the best of both cruise lines to create my perfect cruise!

I did 25 days on the Magic last summer and was never bored.

Kid/teen activities vary a lot. Of course there are a lot more activities on a 7 night cruise than on a 3 nighter, and more high tech on the Fantasy than on the Magic. My daughter was in EVERY age group, and is now an adult. The key to loving the teen stuff is to go to the 411 (or whatever they are calling it now) session on the first night. That's when they choose their activities for the week and is also the time to meet the other people in the group. Making a friend early on is really important.

No, they don't have an ice rink or a climbing wall....but they do have all day and half the night activities.

So Disney just needs to an ice skating rink and some more adult entertaiment to the Fantasy, and . . . perfect! :)

I do agree that Disney struggles with the teen market. My oldest struggles to keep busy. He likes to play basketball but on our last cruise, the kids club kept taking over.

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Say no casino

I'm a huge fan of both of these cruise lines and completely agree with the comparisons made by the OP.

The only thing I would add, in favour of Disney, is that they do a much better job of keeping the adult areas "kid free", with courteous reminders to the children who attempt to hang out in these areas (&/or their parents) - I wish RCI would learn how to do this!!!

Thanks for the review! We were trying to decide to do the Mgic for 7 nights or the allure this Nov. and my 14 y.o. was adamant he wanted to go on Disney(as were my hubby and other kids) Maybe next time we'll do the Allure or Oasis!

We have done the Allure, Oasis and 2X each on Disney Fantasy and Dream. For our family there is more to do,eat and experience on the Oasis class ships. We have only been in suites on both Disney & RCCL so I no nothing about the regular rooms but there are more variety of suites on RCCL and they are stocked with the Spa soap and shampoos. No dispensers on the wall. They also have nice size bath/shower combos. The only actual real bathtub on Disney ships is if you get the one bedroom suite or higher. And I would say the one bedroom suite on Disney is almost the best I have ever stayed in, only slightly exceeded by the one bedroom Haven suites on NCL but that is another story. I found the food on RCCL to be the same as Disney with the exemption of the specialty restaurants on RCCL which are just as good as Remy. And on the Oasis class, 150 Central Park is in a class all by itself. It is comparable to Peter Luger in NYC. The Duck is a very fun and unique ride. RCCL has nothing like it. However NCL does. Again another story. The simple reality is the Oasis class is 225,000 tons. The Disney Fantasy and Dream are 130,000 tons. Its all about real estate on a cruise ship and Oasis class has 43% more. Oasis Class has 7 neighborhoods and 25 dining options. But at the end of the day you have to decide if you want to go WOW or go Disney. If you love everything Disney then you will always prefer the Disney ships. Personally I like to try all the cruise lines and as many ships as possible. Variety is the spice of life...

I haven't sailed on RCCL, but have taken all my teens on DCL. They have had an amazing time.. and kept the friends they made onboard. No complaints of boredom at all. And I love the fact that Disney doesn't have a casino.

We are trying Princess in 2 months, anxious to see if we like it! If RCCL would have more West Coast options, we'd try them too. Flying to Florida just adds so much to the cost of a vacation for our family.

Royal has now eliminated the towel fee so you don't have to worry about checking in / out towels. Due to the size and plushness of the RCCL towels versus the DCL ones, now I'd say that RCCL has the better towel program.

I agree with the adult entertainment being better on RCCL than on DCL - it's better attended, more interactive and more prolific.

I disagree with the MDRs being better on DCL - maybe the decor but I found more selection on RCL and the MDR lunch on RCL was much better than on DCL. Cabanas though does better the windjammer hands down (though I found the line up in Windjammers to be more orderly - in Cabanas people were travelling both ways into and out of a pod and people give you the ole stink eye if you don't travel the entire length of the buffet in one long line).

I think DCL really does get the nod for the under age 11, and for the production shows.

I thought that I would provide a comparison between Disney and Royal Caribbean for those interested. We recently completed a 3-night trip on the Disney Magic, it had been 10 years since we sailed with Disney, as our youngest children are now teens. This trip we took our grown children, the teens and our grandkids (3 & 7). It had been so long, I had forgotten about all the little touches that Disney provides, that well, makes it Disney! So, here's my comparison, please note, that I'll be comparing one of Disney's smallest ships against RCCL's largest ships the Oasis and Allure.

 

I'll start with boarding, biggest difference is that Disney allows you to carry on alcohol. On RCCL, you can try to hide it in your luggage, however, if found, it will be taken, and you'll receive a nasty-gram. In addition, Disney provides free sodas at many self-serve locations around the ship, if you go to a bar, you will receive a can of soda for a dollar; on RCCL, you have to purchase a drink package and wait at the bar to get a drink, as there's limited self-serve locations.

 

Food - the dining room experience is much better with Disney, in my opinion, the food, service and venues were better. On Disney you rotate dining rooms, along with your servers, who are amazing, they know how to pace the meal based on who is in your party and how to keep kids amused during the meal. However, RCCL allows "my time dining" which means you can go to the dining room anytime, Disney doesn't have that choice. Cabanas vs. the Windjammer (buffets) again, Disney wins with Cabanas, the selection was amazing (crab claws and shrimp at lunch!). Room service on Disney also wins, many more selections and it is free 24 hours a day. RCCL has a charge for room service after mid-night. However, RCCL has MANY additional free venues for meals with a large variety of food selections. We did not eat at Palo's the specialty restaurant on Disney this time; however, we enjoyed it 10 years ago, RCCL's specialty restaurants are wonderful!

 

Staterooms - Disney wins, the layout of the room with separate rooms for shower/sink and commode/sink are genius! There was so much storage, that we had extra drawers! That has never happened on RCCL. The bunk beds which were hidden during the day, also genius. Bath products were wonderful on Disney, the shampoo on RCCL is in a large dispenser on the shower wall; Disney has a FULL shower and tub, RCCL has a "tube" shower. Disney provides handheld phones in the room that you can take with you to communicate with another phone and receive messages from the children area. RCCL offers a similar service, for a fee. However, the TV on RCCL is larger, although the movie selection on TV is better on Disney (of course). In addition, Disney has a dedicated movie theater, which shows movies back to back through the day; RCCL uses a theater venue, however, movies are shown a couple of times a day.

 

Pool area - The pools are comparable, both have a splash zone for younger kids. Disney has some great slides; however, RCCL has the flow riders (surfing) that my teens LOVE! Disney provides complimentary towels at the pool area, on RCCL, you have to check them out with your room key and a charge will be added to your bill if one is not turned back in.

 

Kids area - Disney's area for younger kids (11 and younger) is AMAZING! However, RCCL has a much better area and schedule for tween's and teen's and a much better sports zone.

 

Adult area - While Disney provides an adult area, it was never busy while we were on board. RCCL provides great entertainment in all of their lounges, Disney's was very lacking, which is probably why they were not very well attended. One night on Disney we went to the Elton John tribute and found a lady playing his music and singing in a different key and tempo.

 

Casino - Disney does not have a casino. RCCL has a huge casino with a no-smoking section!

 

Shows - Disney shows are geared toward children. RCCL has many venues along with a comedy club and an adult variety show. RCCL also has adult themed deck parties. Disney had a pirate deck party for families followed by fireworks - no fireworks on RCCL. Also, it was chilly the evening of the pirate party and Disney provided free blankets to all in attendance.

 

Another surprise perk on Disney, free rain ponchos to all when it was raining at one of the ports.

 

In conclusion, Disney is great for children, wonderful food and staterooms, thoughtful perks exactly what you would expect from Disney. RCCL is great for older children, variety of restaurant choices (free venues) great adult nightlife, casino and shows. So what cruise line will we sail next?? That's a good question! I wish that RCCL wouldn't charge for everything and take notes from Disney for the staterooms or that Disney would add options for older children, provide more venues for meals and add adult and lounge entertainment.

 

Whew!

Very good comparison..I also reviewed my Dream cruise in Nov. and made some comparisons to RCI, where I'm Diamond ( 12 cruises) on there... A few more observations/ comments: I do wish ( as I wrote) that DCL goes to "any time" or "MY TIME dining"..I didn't like eating so early ( 5:45 )..I can't eat late due to acid reflux..we usually dine @ 6:30 or 6:45 on other ships..I think DCL doesn't do this because of so many young kids might cause a disturbance by having to congregate or wait for a table instead of being sat right away...but I do wish they could work out a program where adults w/o kids OR families that have older kids can do anytime dining...

Also I agree about the food in the MDR's being better, but remember, FOOD IS SUBJECTIVE, as is service and entertainment ( though I find not as much as food..)..I did think Cabanas ( yes, crab legs & shrimp!!) was superior to the WJ, and all 3 dining rotation venues were good to very good. Palo's dinner & brunch were AMAZING, especially the brunch- and service on Disney we thought was far superior than all the cruises we've sailed ( CCL,RCI,NCL,Celebrity, HAL, and Princess)...Where Royal shines is the Royal Promenade, Central Park ( my fav at night), Flowrider, ice-skating shows, and the AMAZING Aquapark diving shows..there is more to do on Royal's big ships for adults, but we were not bored on the Dream- she is a magnificent ship, so classic- we loved walking the outside promenade deck ( deck 4) missing on the Oasis ships, and we loved the Skyline Lounge with the changing city skylines and fireplace...

We are sailing the Oasis ( our 30th overall cruise) next in Oct ( special 5 night Halloween cruise) for my wife's b'day, after that we are looking at possibly the DCL Fantasy, NCL Getaway, Regal Princess or MSC Divina ( magnificent!!) for our 20th anniversary cruise in 2015...BTW, we thought the class 4B Disney family balcony cabin was the best cabin we've ever had- loved the 2 bathrooms and LOVED that huge shower with the rain shower- couldn't get my wife outta there..balconies on Royal a bit bigger, and TV was 80% Disney channels, which I thought was a bit much..I don't watch too much TV on a cruise, but sometimes late at night before bed, I like to watch a little TV, and I wish they had more adult TV rather than cartoons & Disney shows..actually most cruise tv selection is pretty bad..all is need is ESPN, CNN and maybe TNT/TBS and a science channel like Discovery late at night...again, very good comparison!

Big Al

I am intrigued! I have been on Allure twice and Oasis once and about to try the Disney Dream in 20 days...but who's counting. It will be just my DH and I and it is a surprise for him that he doesn't know anything about. I am excited!

Having cruised both cruise lines they both have pluses that the other can't match. One important difference is price. Disney is very expensive compared to RCCL so they can afford the little extras like free soda and ponchos when it rains.

I am intrigued! I have been on Allure twice and Oasis once and about to try the Disney Dream in 20 days...but who's counting. It will be just my DH and I and it is a surprise for him that he doesn't know anything about. I am excited!

Read my review a few posts back ( Big Al's Disney Dream review) on this Disney thread...many comparisons to Oasis/Allure, which we have done twice as well...I have many tips there for adults w/o kids like us...notice that they announce your name as soon as you board, then an agent takes you aside and answers questions & tells you what's happening on the ship later that day....Cabanas is the buffet area on deck 11..we thought their buffet was much better than Royal's...check out the shrimp cocktail & crab claws in the middle seafood area...don't miss all the shows and Pirate show/ fireworks..the private island, Castaway Cay, IMO, is the best PI we've ever been to- better than Labadee & Coco Cay..HAL'S Half Moon Cay is my 2nd fav , then Labadee...go to the adult area called Serenity Beach at the end ( take the tram, it's a LONG walk!!)...they also have their own private buffet area just for adults there...any questions let me know..we have no kids, are seniors and we LOVED the Dream!

Big Al

Read my review a few posts back ( Big Al's Disney Dream review) on this Disney thread...many comparisons to Oasis/Allure, which we have done twice as well...I have many tips there for adults w/o kids like us...notice that they announce your name as soon as you board, then an agent takes you aside and answers questions & tells you what's happening on the ship later that day....Cabanas is the buffet area on deck 11..we thought their buffet was much better than Royal's...check out the shrimp cocktail & crab claws in the middle seafood area...don't miss all the shows and Pirate show/ fireworks..the private island, Castaway Cay, IMO, is the best PI we've ever been to- better than Labadee & Coco Cay..HAL'S Half Moon Cay is my 2nd fav , then Labadee...go to the adult area called Serenity Beach at the end ( take the tram, it's a LONG walk!!)...they also have their own private buffet area just for adults there...any questions let me know..we have no kids, are seniors and we LOVED the Dream!

 

Big Al

OMG Thank you so much! I would love to read it and talk to you more about it!!!

OMG Thank you so much! I would love to read it and talk to you more about it!!!

I saw you posted on my Dream review, did you read it? Any questions comparing to Royal, let me know..as I mentioned in my review, we are Diamond on Royal, so we know the Royal experience well...

Alan

I saw you posted on my Dream review, did you read it? Any questions comparing to Royal, let me know..as I mentioned in my review, we are Diamond on Royal, so we know the Royal experience well...

 

Alan

I have a lot of questions, but am too embarrassed to ask them, esp on here.

I have a lot of questions, but am too embarrassed to ask them, esp on here.

you can e-mail at statusalan@bellsouth.net..this will be between myself & you, if you would like..OR leave a message by clicking on my profile..only I can see that..do not be shy...Listen- on my very first cruise, I actually waited for the check to come, forgetting that the food was included...my GF laughed so hard...you cruise & learn....

Alan

Actually there are no PMS on Cruise Critic.

I would recommend setting up a separate email if you want to post one on here, spammers routinely harvest them

you can e-mail at statusalan@bellsouth.net..this will be between myself & you, if you would like..OR leave a message by clicking on my profile..only I can see that..do not be shy...Listen- on my very first cruise, I actually waited for the check to come, forgetting that the food was included...my GF laughed so hard...you cruise & learn....

 

Alan

I have a lot of questions, but am too embarrassed to ask them, esp on here.

Why not? We get a lot of questions here from new cruisers. We enev have a new cruisers' forum here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97.

If you have any problems with the responses, use the triangle button to report them to me and the other hosts.

you can e-mail at statusalan@bellsouth.net..this will be between myself & you, if you would like..OR leave a message by clicking on my profile..only I can see that..do not be shy...Listen- on my very first cruise, I actually waited for the check to come, forgetting that the food was included...my GF laughed so hard...you cruise & learn....

 

Alan

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