DCL vs. NCL...just returned

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

My friends on Cruise Critic...just returned a few hours ago from a week on Disney Magic and wanted to share with you my opinion.

 

 

As you might know, we grew fond of NCL after experiencing their suite product and 'switched' from Celebrity to NCL a few years ago. We tried Disney as we were taking a 9 year old with us. As background, there were 5 of us; ages: 32, 33, 33, 38, 9.

 

Flew into Orlando the day prior and stayed at Renaissance Orlando Airport. It was nice...being gold members offered complimentary breakfast. Reserved car service through Sir Randolphs, stretch Rolls Royce, while it may be a Rolls, it has seen better days. My Honda is in better shape. ;)

 

We had two category 4 staterooms-deluxe family verandah; deck 8 (highest stateroom deck) . They measured 304 SF each and were adjoining with a door mid-cabin that connected them. The balcony's were not moveable and did not allow for the flow to continue outside.

 

Cabins: Pretty spacious with 5 sleeping areas in each room; 10 sleeping areas and 5 people...sounds good, right? (back of mind...where's my NCL Suite). (in each cabin there was a murphy bed, pull down from ceiling bed, sleep sofa, and two regular beds). Liked the 'split bathrooms' with toilet and sink in one room and shower/bath/sink in another room. Convenient. Lots of storage. Lots...drawers and shelves everywhere...many unused areas which is pretty uncommon for us. Top cabin deck (deck 8) and it was SO loud. We were mid-ship on the deck that housed all of the suites and priciest rooms and from dawn til dusk we heard running, chairs being moved, jumping, everything. We had a large family adjacent to us and their baby crying at 2 AM was shared by more than just their cabin. Toiletries were great...products used were H20 Marine...very good. Not fair to judge as I am comparing NCL Suites to DCL cabins, but when you get to pricing you'll understand.

 

Food: A huge consideration for us. We eat out almost every night...and I am the one at the Ruby Tuesday's To Go curbside pick up almost daily, it's somewhat important to me. The food was very good throughout. Regardless of venue, the quality of product was high. Hamburgers, hot dogs, mac n cheese, the BEST chicken strips, pretty much everything was delicious. All sandwiches served on 12 grain rolls, room service was fresh (THE best lasagne ever on the room service menu), Maine lobsters were fantastic (and I'm not the biggest lobster fan). Very good food. But...dinner at 815PM sharp, in this location, and you must wear this..Did not feel like vacation. Loved the food...hated the regimentation. We had to plan our evenings around dinner. And, unlike a suite on NCL, we didn't have the option of eating in our ensuite dining area. We liked the food very much...missed Freestyle more. LOVED the open soda fountain, no charges, just help yourself.

 

Entertainment: 10+ The best. Have never seen better on any ship. The singers were top quality broadway calibre; the stages/costumes amazing. I would have paid to see the productions and I live in Las Vegas. They were brilliant...real SNOW falling on you during winter portions! bubbles blowing; confetti falling; fireworks; just excellent Disney quality at it's best. Can't compliment them enough and they deserve the standing ovation they get each night.

 

Ship: Isn't there ONE quiet spot on board? No. Regardless of our pursuit to find a place to play cards/games on board, there is not any. The 'game area' is a lounge that has activities going on continuously. There are quiet areas for 18 and older but NONE for families. The ship is poorly designed to try and meet every area for every family. It would have been very simple to find this area on NCL, Celebrity, Princess, or RCI. This is one lively ship that caters to kids. Obviously it's a Disney Cruise, but they tout their different areas for different groups. My goodness....the kids. Everywhere

 

Excursions: Most cruises have the same excursions, Cozumel, Grand Caymen, whatever, but Disney's private island...WOW! It is simply amazing. Perfect beaches, perfect water, perfect service, hands down the best place I've been. Yes, I want to live there. :) Ribs for lunch, 2 for 1 Bahama Mamas after 2PM...life is good.

 

So...after a nice week on DCL, we are SO back to NCL. We missed having a suite...oh, check the prices of a Disney Suite...my quote was $10,200 for a 1 bedroom suite (and that included me on a sleep sofa). CRAZY! The price for our two rooms at booking were just under $10,000. And still no butler. As we were on the only deck that had suites, we saw them...very shabby. I'm not kidding. There is just nothing fancy about Disney. Fun, yes, Fancy, no. NCL has such nice suites.

 

I was told by my partner...and this is serious..."Book us on Epic for next year in an Owner's Suite"...and this was 3 days into the cruise.

 

It was fun, but we sure missed NCL.

[calmac]

Thanks for posting such a balanced comparison. Good to know that you'll be heading back to "The Suite Life" on NCL :D

[gkbiiii]

What you are paying for, is the best offered, where the Disney Magic goes. The rotational dining is only found on Disney. The quality is unmatched, everything is VERY polished and of the highest quality (other than luxury lines such as Cunard & Crystal) and priced to reflect that. There is no endless nickel & dimeing and there is only a charge for Palo. NCL is simply not in the same class of Disney; to me it is below Carnival & RCCL. If you enjoy paying for EVERYTHING on excess onboard charges, NCL is the line for you. If however, you like to pay more upfront, for a much higher quality product (without enless extra fees) than Disney is for you. Also, I like the dining times and dress codes; it adds to the cruise expereince and helps you get to know your table mates (set dining times). As a single traveler I really like having dinner companions!

[3mmm]

This is very helpful. We have cruised 4 times on Disney and are doing our first non-Disney cruise in June on the Pearl to Alaska.

 

Our one concern is if there will be enough for the kids to do. I know Disney goes overboard in this area, but I want to be sure there is something for the kids to do. Do you have any experience with this? I know they have a kids club, but it seems small and we really enjoy the family activities and entertainment on Disney more so than the kid clubs.

 

Mary

mom to 11, 10, 8, 6, and 3 year olds

[sparks1093]

What you are paying for, is the best offered, where the Disney Magic goes. The rotational dining is only found on Disney. The quality is unmatched, everything is VERY polished and of the highest quality (other than luxury lines such as Cunard & Crystal) and priced to reflect that. There is no endless nickel & dimeing and there is only a charge for Palo. NCL is simply not in the same class of Disney; to me it is below Carnival & RCCL. If you enjoy paying for EVERYTHING on excess onboard charges, NCL is the line for you. If however, you like to pay more upfront, for a much higher quality product (without enless extra fees) than Disney is for you. Also, I like the dining times and dress codes; it adds to the cruise expereince and helps you get to know your table mates (set dining times). As a single traveler I really like having dinner companions!

 

I've priced DCL and they offer nothing that I'm willing to pay that much extra for.

 

Thanks for the comparision Rick!

[TomTN]

What you are paying for, is the best offered, where the Disney Magic goes. The rotational dining is only found on Disney. The quality is unmatched, everything is VERY polished and of the highest quality (other than luxury lines such as Cunard & Crystal) and priced to reflect that. There is no endless nickel & dimeing and there is only a charge for Palo. NCL is simply not in the same class of Disney; to me it is below Carnival & RCCL. If you enjoy paying for EVERYTHING on excess onboard charges, NCL is the line for you. If however, you like to pay more upfront, for a much higher quality product (without enless extra fees) than Disney is for you. Also, I like the dining times and dress codes; it adds to the cruise expereince and helps you get to know your table mates (set dining times). As a single traveler I really like having dinner companions!

 

Why do you choose to travel on Disney as a single traveler? I would think there are other cruise lines with the service, dining ,dress, etc that you like without all the children.

[hollywood34711]

Did anyone miss the casino? Just curious.

~Holly

[soazlaney]

I loved this review. You managed to give an honest review without trashing either line. I have never been on Disney and I love NCL. After your review we may just try Disney - but I see us always coming back to NCL. Thank you

[DMH15]

Rick-

 

Enjoyed your comparison. You gave Disney lots of kudos, just came to the same conclusion I think I would have. I am open to trying any line, but for me the NCL suite life sets the bar mighty high.

[gottacruisemore]

thanks for the review.

 

i have my first NCL cruise coming up and i am very excited to be trying the "suite life."

i have often wondered what DCL was like and have noticed it came with a high price tag. i will try it when my nephews get a litttle older.

[time2cruise1]

What you are paying for, is the best offered, where the Disney Magic goes. The rotational dining is only found on Disney. The quality is unmatched, everything is VERY polished and of the highest quality (other than luxury lines such as Cunard & Crystal) and priced to reflect that. There is no endless nickel & dimeing and there is only a charge for Palo. NCL is simply not in the same class of Disney; to me it is below Carnival & RCCL. If you enjoy paying for EVERYTHING on excess onboard charges, NCL is the line for you. If however, you like to pay more upfront, for a much higher quality product (without enless extra fees) than Disney is for you. Also, I like the dining times and dress codes; it adds to the cruise expereince and helps you get to know your table mates (set dining times). As a single traveler I really like having dinner companions!

 

I am just curious. How many NCL or Carnival cruises have you been on to compare and establish they are not in the same class. I see your first cruise was a Disney in Sept of this year. Glad you had a great time.

I can't comment on Disney as I have never been on their ships. I do appreciate rickechambers perspective. I thought it was balanced and pointed out some real strength of the Disney product.

I have priced Disney and I can book a penthouse on NCL, eat in a specialty restaurant of my choice every night, get the royal treatment from my butler and concierge, and spend about the same as a balcony cabin on Disney.

[Law5Guy]

We loved DCL and were "concerned" when we tried NCL.

3 big items enticed us to try NCL:

1. Home port out of NYC;

2. 3 days in Bermuda;

3. P-R-I-C-E.

 

We have gone DCL twice, once with 3 generations. Went NCL once...adults only with another couple.

 

DCL...

Pro:

1.better (non-specialty) restaurants. Buffet and rotational dining rooms surpassed NCL Dawn. We enjoyed the set dining times and companions. Admittedly, unpleasant table companions might change my view, but we have enjoyed meeting new folks. By the end of the week we would look forward to dining with them. We ABSOLUTELY prefer having the same wait staff. This is an area that DCL wins easily.

2. kids activities on DCL are great. Have young kids? They'll never get to see and interact with more Disney characters. Have older kids? We went with 2 teens...what could be more difficult? Our kids had a super time in the teen lounge. If you can please teens on vacation, you are doing something right!

3. DCL staff get my vote. Everywhere around the ship we were greeted with smiles and often engaged in conversation with crew of every job category. This didn't happen on NCL

4. "Promenade" deck---we like the walking deck and comfortable lounge chairs on DCL. NCL's similar deck just wasn't as nice and lacked the lounge chairs.

5. Buffet area with outside seating at rear of DCL ships is much nicer than buffet on Dawn. I understand that other NCL ships are designed differently, so this is specific to the Dawn, rather than NCL in general.

6. Space...DCL rooms are significantly bigger...but see below.

 

NCL...

Pro:

1. More variety in specialty restaurants. Palo was very good, but it was the only DCL option. DCL main dining rooms (rotational) were better, so lack of extra specialty venues was not a big issue for us.

2. Entertainment on Dawn surpassed DCL. Yes, all the Disney stuff is great for the young kids, but the shows were still pretty standard cruise line quality. The big stage shows on NCL are ok, but also pretty standard. Music acts on Dawn were wonderful.

3. Pools and hot tubs were better on Dawn. Toddlers are better accommodated on DCL, but one wonders how much longer people will be allowed to put diaper-wearing babies in public pools?

4. P-R-I-C-E...no question about it, DCL charges a premium for the Disney brand. Some may think it is well worth it (sometimes I may agree).

 

Maybe we have been lucky, but noise has not been a big problem on either DCL or NCL. We have had veranda and inside cabins on DCL...went inside on NCL. It is great to have the veranda / balcony, but we really don't mind being inside on either line.

 

We could have gotten a balcony on NCL for less than cost of inside cabin on DCL. We would consider DCL again, especially with younger kids, but on balance NCL gets our nod for better value.

[alwalaska]

We are anxiously awaiting our first NCL cruise, but I thought I would add my 2 cents about Disney. It is interesting how people see things differently. I have seen 2 reviews of the same exact cruise where you wonder how on earth they could ever be on the same cruise.

 

1) The service and quality on Disney are even better than I had on Princess and RCI and there was nothing to complain about on those cruise lines.

2) Because we have to carefully consider where we will spend our limited vacation funds, we have not cruised Disney again.

3) The food on Disney was probably the best we have had on a cruise, and definitely the most flexible so far, except for dinner in the main dining room. A lot more options were available during more hours than I found on the other cruise lines.

4) I thought Disney had more family oriented activities. The other lines seemed to have things for the kids to do alone and things for the parents to do alone, but not much together. In face, until recent smoking changes on RCL, many of the games like name that tune and trivia were held in the smoking areas of bars which was not conducive to taking the kids along.

5) The quality of the main production shows on Disney were far above that on either Princess or RCL. There is no comparison. Now, if you don't like Disney - you won't like them since the production shows are All Disney. We were on a short cruise on Disney, so we didn't really have time to explore the bands, etc. We were too busy doing other things.

6) If you can't afford suites, the regular cabins are much larger with better family oriented layouts than any other cruise line I have been on, or even researched.

7) Like someone else said, you don't have to pay for pop and the main dining is so good, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not going to Palos. I did add these costs in, and for an interior on each, this still did not make the costs even close. Disney is very pricey.

 

I can't wait to try NCL in March. I do not like set dining times, so I am excited about Freestyle dining. We did My Time Dining and Anytime Dining on Princess and RCL and enjoyed those.

[flbeachmom]

Ok. Like all cruisers everyone likes something different or all the ships would be the same. Here are som of MY ideas.

_If you want a quiet ship go with Princess (loved the Crown), just do not travel during holidays if you would rather not see many kids.

_On DCL there is Deck 4 with lounge chairs that were very quiet the 5 times i cruised with DCL. You will not get numerous overhead annoncements during the day while you nap either. (hate that).

_if you have young children go with DCL at least one time> Their kids club is unbeatable. As they get older like mine RCCL and NCL work great.

_we loved NCL anytime dining!

_ NCL has The Best buffet set up- from food to seating!!

_Loved Disneys rotation dining also compared to RCCL. Food was by far the best we have had (but it has been a few years 2006 since we were on).

_Hate the pay for everything but since we are an active family we are used to only drinking water. DCL has a free drink area by the pool deck (tea, lemonaid, sodas ice cream ect.) NCL has the best free ice cream.

_We like the price of NCL that is why we keep coming back. Their service while not bad is not their strong point. Princess and DCL have fabulous service.

_Disney and NCL entertainment is my favorite.

_ the kids club is open later on DCL than most other lines (you have to pay extra on NCL and RCCL)

_never had a suit on any cruise just balcony so cant help with any comparisons. Did love the split bathroom on DCL.

_Kids love the newer RCCL ships with the ice skating, roller blades, surfing ect.

 

As you can see there are so many likes and dislikes of all ships that they all equal out in the end..... and that is why I guess we go with best price...NCL

[CruisnGram]

What you are paying for, is the best offered, where the Disney Magic goes. The rotational dining is only found on Disney. The quality is unmatched, everything is VERY polished and of the highest quality (other than luxury lines such as Cunard & Crystal) and priced to reflect that. There is no endless nickel & dimeing and there is only a charge for Palo. NCL is simply not in the same class of Disney; to me it is below Carnival & RCCL. If you enjoy paying for EVERYTHING on excess onboard charges, NCL is the line for you. If however, you like to pay more upfront, for a much higher quality product (without enless extra fees) than Disney is for you. Also, I like the dining times and dress codes; it adds to the cruise expereince and helps you get to know your table mates (set dining times). As a single traveler I really like having dinner companions!

 

Glad you enjoy Disney but no thanks.

 

First, I hate spending triple the amount for a cruise on Disney as I do NCL. I can eat in a specialty restaurant every night on NCL and buy 10 sodas a day and still save thousands.

 

2nd: I don't want to eat with strangers and I don't want the cruise line telling me what time I have to eat.

 

And 3rd, I want a casino.

 

 

CG

[CruisnGram]

I am just curious. How many NCL or Carnival cruises have you been on to compare and establish they are not in the same class. I see your first cruise was a Disney in Sept of this year.

 

 

I'd like to know the same answer. The poster went on their first cruise ever (according to their own words in previous posts) in September 2009...2 months ago. They just returned from an RCL cruise in October. So I'd like to know how they managed to squeeze in a Carnival and an NCL cruise in such a short period of time. Especially since they never mention sailing either line.

 

CG

[pixiedustdawn]

Hi Rick,

Enjoyed reading your review. I happen to be a big fan of the Disney Cruise line and have sailed in their suites numerous times. Yes, you are correct, they are quite pricey. Especially, if you stay in the actual suites. Did you get to see the actual suites?

I find I also enjoy switching back and forth between a few cruise lines that I like, just to change it up a bit and see the differences.

NCL is also on the top on my list. I find I can leave out of New York and stay in a suite on NCL for almost half the price of my entire vacation on Disney. Which can be a big deciding factor. I still need my dose of Disney though, lol.

I am glad you got to try out the Disney cruise line. I also hope you book the NCL EPIC. We are booked and can't wait to see her. It's going to be a very exciting cruise experience!

Thanks for sharing yours.

Dawn