Why Disney vs Carnival?

[Jajone]

OK, I asked this on the Disney boards since we are a Disney family and I am on there all the time, and I expected to get the opinions I got. We have sailed Carnival 3x, once with the kids, 10,8, and 3. We have done Disney 9x with the kids. The obvious next step is to do a Disney cruise, but I can't bring myself to justify the extra cost. So, Why do you choose Disney vs another cruiseline? I should add that my older kids are more into the big rides at Disney now than the characters and they loved our last Carnival cruise.

[Keith1010]

I think the analogy might be why is Disney on land better than say another amusement park. It's all of the little extras that Disney does that collectively adds to a very special cruise. While you have the three year old, at some point the older kids might be less interested in doing a Disney cruise so this is probably a very nice time to do it.

 

Just as Disney Parks is pleasing to both the adults and children of families the same is true for the cruise line.

 

Yes, it is more expensive but it is also is very special and I am sure will be not only wonderful at the time but also a most memorable cruise for our family.

 

Keith

[billfish]

If you take the $$$$$$ out of the discussion I'm sure 99 percent would opt FOR a Disney Cruise . I am in the early planning stages for next fall and am struggling to justify the additional money. It's not just a couple of hundred for a family of 5 ,its well over a grand

[winningfreak]

If your kids had a lot of fun on the Carnival cruise and it is a lot cheaper then why not go with Carnival? You have been on three times as many Disney cruises do you really need to go on another and spend that much more?

 

Just my 2 cents but I would go with Carnival.

[Keith1010]

If your kids had a lot of fun on the Carnival cruise and it is a lot cheaper then why not go with Carnival? You have been on three times as many Disney cruises do you really need to go on another and spend that much more?

 

Just my 2 cents but I would go with Carnival.

 

I may be wrong but I think when the OP said she has done disney 9X's she is talking about the park not the cruise line. I had to reread her post a few times because it is not totally clear, but I finally came to the conclusion that it must be the park otherwise why would she be asking our opinion of the two cruise lines. But, as I say, I could be wrong.

 

Keith

[Mack2]

If you like Disney World, you have to at least try to hit up a Disney Cruise once.

It IS more expensive, but there are a few things you get on Disney that are a little bit different than any other cruise company.

 

I guess it's the dining, in the different dining venues each night... I mean, sure, same food, but the dining rooms themselves are pretty dynamic. The color changing one, the fancy one, the casual one.

 

Accessibility to the characters is an advantage the cruise has over the park. Characters (and photographers) will become available on a schedule throughout the day... and by surprise... and they will stay until the very last person gets a photo and autograph. Also... there are the pin collectors (if that's popular still).

 

Character breakfast happens... part of the cruise... the entertainment is UNBELIEVABLE. We were lucky enough to see the old Hercules show back in "the day", as well as the new "Dreams" show... Undoubtedly the best shows at sea, ever!

 

Castaway Cay is also a very well done private beach destination. Snorkeling off the beach (submerged statue things to find), biking/hiking trails, private beach, kids activities... it's just well done, and engaging.

 

All that, being said... I've only cruised Disney twice... one Eastern, one Western aboard the Magic. Once with two kids, the other time with three.

I would love to go on another cruise with Disney (since the littlest was too little to really remember anything) before the eldest gets too old to care about Disney.

 

I'm hoping that Disney does Alaska when their newest ships are launched... Alaska is boring for children... so Alaska Disney-style shouldn't be horrifying for them, y'know?

 

We just got off the Carnival Legend with the kids the first week of November... Usually, we sail RCI. I like gushing about RCI, too!

[onthelake]

You did not mention if you have boys or girls. We went on Disney when my son was about 12. He enjoyed it very much but felt that the activities/characters were aimed at the girls. Too many princesses, not enough pirates. We cruise a lot and for us, Disney was a one time event to please our son. And, I have seen some good prices for them lately on discount online sites. If you kids love Disney, they will love this cruise. My best memory is Castaway Cay - I would live there!

[crusinmama06]

I think everyone should try a Disney cruise at least once. Especially if you are a "Disney family". We loved our cruises on Disney. I don't have the same opinion of Carnival (been on them 3 times, that was enough)

 

So are you saying that the only CRUISE you were on was Carnival? Time to try another line. ;) How do you know what you like unless you try them all? :D

[Jajone]

If you take the $$$$$$ out of the discussion I'm sure 99 percent would opt FOR a Disney Cruise . I am in the early planning stages for next fall and am struggling to justify the additional money. It's not just a couple of hundred for a family of 5 ,its well over a grand

Thank you for justifying the reason I'm having a difficult time with this.

 

I may be wrong but I think when the OP said she has done disney 9X's she is talking about the park not the cruise line. I had to reread her post a few times because it is not totally clear, but I finally came to the conclusion that it must be the park otherwise why would she be asking our opinion of the two cruise lines. But, as I say, I could be wrong.

 

Keith

Yes, Disney Word 9x, kids have only cruised once on Carnival

 

I have a 2 boys and a girl. Sounds like DS8 would not be very happy with all those princesses. We're not even allowed to take his pic with many of the characters now in case his friends ever see it:rolleyes:. I agree that Disney would be fun, but the cost is an obvious factor. If not Disney or Carnival Cruisinmama, what other ship would you rec.? I'm looking for entertainment for the kids that doesn't break the bank. We are considering paying for BIL family and doing a vow renewal as well. There is a slight chance of taking just DS3 and hubby in June to Disney World for a work conference and maybe we could add on a Disney cruise to try it out before bringing everyone.

[Liltx31]

I wish we could afford a disney cruise with the options we like but we can't.

 

I priced them and for the equivalent of a junior suite we would have to pay more than $2000 more. The extras of disney aren't worth it to us to give up a big room and balcony. We LOVE WDW and go every year. I guess we willl just have to stick with land based disney. Maybe someday we will be able to swing it. I think there are tons of options/fun out there though.

 

I will note though that the closer we get to college days the less we spend on vacations. We used to stay only deluxe at disney now we do the dolphin or moderates. Our girls are 4 and 6 so we will have two in college at the same time!

 

Monica

[boulders]

If they liked Carnival, they will really like Royal Caribbean. After 3 cruises on RCCL, we (me and ds13) were kind of bored on our Carnival cruise. DD10 and ds3 thought it was just fine.

 

Don't totally rule out Disney though. Disney cruise prices tend to go up the closer it is to sailing. Carnival's and especially RCCL's, have tended to go down, at least lately. I booked a 5 day cruise during summer break, 2011 on Disney Dream for about the same price per day a cruise on the Oasis would cost. Sometimes Disney will run special promotions as it gets closer to the sail date though. They recently had a kids sail free promotion too.

 

One other consideration is your family size. A family of 5 may have difficulty fitting into one stateroom. You will have to call the cruiselines or a TA directly to find a stateroom for 5. Online booking will usually only show staterooms that fit up to 4.

[crusinmama06]

If they liked Carnival, they will really like Royal Caribbean. After 3 cruises on RCCL, we (me and ds13) were kind of bored on our Carnival cruise. DD10 and ds3 thought it was just fine.

 

Exactly! I have the same opinion as Boulders. Royal Caribbean is the clear choice in our family. :D

 

To my kids, no other cruise line can compete. The ships are outstanding. Just overflowing with things for the kids to do. Rock wall climbing, ice skating, surfing on the flow rider, mini golf AND golf simulator, parades through the promenades, H20 zones and now on Oasis - a zipline :eek:

 

I can't say we have ever been bored on Royal. But I know I have been on other ships. ;)

[imsulin]

I haven't been bored on any ship or land trip I've ever been on (except the RCI Viking Serenade in 1995 - ONLY bad cruise I've been on! Not so much bored - just a bad cruise) Guess I feel lucky to have been on a number of lines and itineraries! Different time and era, but when we took our kids on vacation ANYWHERE (Europe, DL, DW, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, ) they were NEVER bored. They were pretty much excited. I feel sorry for any kid who is BORED on a cruise!

[Mack2]

I haven't been bored on any ship or land trip I've ever been on (except the RCI Viking Serenade in 1995 - ONLY bad cruise I've been on! Not so much bored - just a bad cruise) Guess I feel lucky to have been on a number of lines and itineraries! Different time and era, but when we took our kids on vacation ANYWHERE (Europe, DL, DW, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, ) they were NEVER bored. They were pretty much excited. I feel sorry for any kid who is BORED on a cruise!

 

The Viking Serenade was a tiny ship.

My first RCCL cruise was aboard the Song of America.. when I was... 15 or something.... in the mid-80s. The Viking Serenade was NEW back then.

 

Although... I like to gush about RCI.... there's a lot to do for everyone.... and never enough hours in the day.

[imsulin]

The Viking Serenade was a tiny ship.

My first RCCL cruise was aboard the Song of America.. when I was... 15 or something.... in the mid-80s. The Viking Serenade was NEW back then.

 

Although... I like to gush about RCI.... there's a lot to do for everyone.... and never enough hours in the day.

 

I cruised the Viking Serenade in August 1995. Four day LA - Catalina - Ensenada - LA It was really awful! Dirty cabins and public bathrooms. The public bathrooms were so awful, we went in our TINY cabin! Really bad food in the MDR (no buffet, no room service), poor dining service and the pool area/chairs hadn't been cleaned in a very long time! Worst cruise I've ever been on! Soured me on RCI for a long time! Was really spoiled by other lines! However, our 4/2006 eight-night cruise on the Jewel was very nice, despite a few setbacks (tiny shower, HUGE problem with chair hogs, repeated mongering from Art show folks...). Anyway, we liked the Jewel!

[chipmaster]

OK, I asked this on the Disney boards since we are a Disney family and I am on there all the time, and I expected to get the opinions I got. We have sailed Carnival 3x, once with the kids, 10,8, and 3. We have done Disney 9x with the kids. The obvious next step is to do a Disney cruise, but I can't bring myself to justify the extra cost. So, Why do you choose Disney vs another cruiseline? I should add that my older kids are more into the big rides at Disney now than the characters and they loved our last Carnival cruise.

 

 

There are two aspects to the Disney cruise just like their park. First is the Mouse theme the second is the ambience and class of service. They make you pay a considerable premium for both.

 

I sailed Disney many years ago when my kids were younger and appreciate the little Disney touches; characters, movies, themed stuff in kids club etc. etc. Now that they are older that is a premium service that adds considerably less to the vacation experience. As with amusment parks if it isn't the magic of Small world, space mountain or other iconic Disney themed ride I find that the bang for the buck at alternatives like Busch gardens exceeds the Mouse. The mouse is special but he really makes you pay for it in the pocket book. All other parks and cruise line understand the profit in offering higher level ambience and experience, be it food or service.

 

As others suggested if you enjoy carnival and are looking for something more upscale RCL will offer far more bang for the buck. Of course you won't have the themed resturants, characters, movies, shows etc, but you also get a similar experience IMHO for a lot less on some of the lines that are a step above Carnival

[Boatingmom]

UNLESS YOU'RE INTO THE CHARACTERS, iTS A WASTE OF MONEY. GLAD WE TRIED IT BUT LIKED ALL OUR OTHER CRUISES BETTER ( except ncl)

[dpowers]

I have to disagree with the posters who say that Disney Cruises are all about the characters. We cruised two years ago on the Magic for 7 days with my two boys, then aged 10 and 14. None of us are into characters, but it was the best vacation our family has ever had! The appeal for my boys were the teen clubs. Both boys lived for the club activities, which were constant, well-supervised and fun-filled. My dh and I enjoyed relaxing adult time alone and away from the kiddies while the boys were having a ball making new friends and playing games and sports. The cabins were large, well kept and always prepped by our stewart, the meals were absolutely top notch, and the extra services such as upscale restaurants and spa services were just over the top. We are cruising this year on RCL for any extended family event, but the boys are disappointed not to go on Disney again!!

[RENMama]

We are considering a Disney cruise next summer on their new ship.

We have Disney dollars to use up and it would decrease the cost.

Its just hard for me to accept going on a 4 or 5 day cruise vs a 7 day cruise.

[A&Jfamily]

For what it is worth, one o my good friends took his family (DD 8 and DS 5) on a Disney cruise last year - it was the first cruise, and he swears their last. He said that he and his wife were so bored at night because all the shows were Disney, and the streets rolled up by 10 pm, and come 8 pm, things were winding down.

 

I think I would have enjoyed a Disney cruise when my kids were very young, but now, not so much. They have tons of fun in Camp Carnival, we get plenty of adult time, and still get to be together as a family whenever we want. I just can't justify the money for Disney, especially not now.

[mom2jax]

Disney is really nice – great service, great food, ships not crowed. After doing Disney we went back to carnival one time and DH and I said never again. Now keep in mind that you can also get great food and service on Holland and Celebrity and such. Sometimes you do get what you pay for.

[rbird]

Been there done DCL. Overall a good cruise. Largest ocean view cabin we've ever had. Food was just good/Palo great/sodas included in free dinner drink choices. Kid's activites were good and plenty of character photo opportunities. DCL island was great! The ship itself is very family oriented. BUT on the other hand as adults, we were bored. Not enough adult activities, went looking for a piano bar late and the ship is quiet after 10pm. Pool chairs ALWAYS taken early in the morning and throughout the day. Kid pools way too crowded. Adult pool water too warm. Dare I say too many kid's (I wouldn't dare post this over on the DIS;))

Overall, I'm glad we tried it and it was the first cruise we took our kid's on but not worth the extra money to do over. Too many other cruise line choices. We are trying Carnival for the first time. It was 2K less than Dcl and I even scored a balcony for the first time. Wooohooo!

btw - we love WDW too.

[mom2two2]

Exactly! I have the same opinion as Boulders. Royal Caribbean is the clear choice in our family. :D

 

To my kids, no other cruise line can compete. The ships are outstanding. Just overflowing with things for the kids to do. Rock wall climbing, ice skating, surfing on the flow rider, mini golf AND golf simulator, parades through the promenades, H20 zones and now on Oasis - a zipline :eek:

 

I can't say we have ever been bored on Royal. But I know I have been on other ships. ;)

 

Hi! DH and I were just on Navigator a couple weeks ago, without our kids and while we thought there was a lot for children to do on the ship, there were SO many seniors everywhere. I saw some children but very few and we got the impression it would not be very exciting for them. You did not find this with RCCI?

[boulders]

You will see very few kids in mid-January.;) In summer and spring break , there will be 700-1000 kids on a Voyager class ship.

[Frenchsnowhite]

 

 

 

I have a 2 boys and a girl , but the cost is an obvious factor. If not Disney or Carnival Cruisinmama, what other ship would you rec.? I'm looking for .

 

May I suggest you something? Starting in May 2010 Norwegian Cruise line is offering the Nickelodeon characters (Dora the explorer, Sponge Bob and more...) on bord the NCL Jewel out of NY and the new Epic out of Miami.

 

IT IS NOT DISNEY but it's not the price of a Disney cruise either.

 

We've done a Disney cruise without our kids :p and yes it was the best, but since we have 3 kids I can take 2 NCL or Carnival cruise vs 1 Disney cruise with the same money:rolleyes: