Epic Nickelodeon themed kids programs VS Disney

[keltshan]

My best friend and are are doing a Jan. 2011 cruise with the kids (4/6/7).

Initially we were going to do a Disney cruise and get adjoining rooms........but I saw NCL's Epic and they are advertising Nick themed kids programming and all of the kids love the Nick stuff as much as Disney.

 

My reservations are that the character breakfast is additional and I don't know about any of the other things........does anyone have info for the Epic Extras that are not included?

 

On the Epic we can have a courtyard villa 2br/2ba for the same cost as Disney's lowest priced adjoining cabins......Any advice? Do you think this will be a "kid" friendly cruise in comparison to Disney?

 

Thanks!

[Huddler]

We took our 2 kids on a Disney Cruise last summer and they really had a great time. It is obviously very family friendly, although there are alot of things I wish they had done. I showed my DD 8 and DS 6 the pics of the Epic and told them they could go back on Disney or try the Epic with the Nickolodean theme. They both immediately decided they wanted to try the Epic. They love so many of the Nick characters. And those water slides and pools are like nothing Disney can offer. We are booked for Epic this summer and will write a report. I think both Disney and NCL Epic will be great for kids, but the Epic seems to offer A LOT more to do for the entire family. Now we just have to see how they execute on it!

[keltshan]

I will be anxiously awaiting the reviews of the Nick themed activities, kids clubs, and the water park! :D

[anewmac]

We have done a Disney cruise with our 11 and 7yr old boys. They LOVED IT! As did we. But when I showed them the EPIC ship, and we asked with they would like to do better they said EPIC hands down. And they didnt care wiether we did the Nick cruises or not lol. The slides won them over.

 

My issues is all the "extas" you have to pay out of pocket for. Where as everything is already included in the Disney ship (yet Epic is cheaper then Disney's ships)... it will be nice to see someone do a compairison of the 2.

[ddakrt]

On the Epic we can have a courtyard villa 2br/2ba for the same cost as Disney's lowest priced adjoining cabins......Any advice? Do you think this will be a "kid" friendly cruise in comparison to Disney?

 

Thanks!

 

I know this is about the kids, but what I quoted alone is so very much important. :D

 

In the CV you'll be treated like royalty, whereas you're just another guest on Disney.

 

As for the extra cost stuff on NCL, check out the following thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1148321

NCL offers just as much included stuff as any other lines, there's just more options (that others do not have) that carries a cost if you choose to go for them.

 

Do note that if you're sailing when school's in on NCL, there might not be a lot of kids aboard the ship. I'm not sure how Disney is when school's in though. I'm also not sure if the character breakfast is on every sailing or just the Nick themed cruises, so make sure you ask your PCC about that.

[negc]

In the CV you'll be treated like royalty, whereas you're just another guest on Disney.

 

Does anyone remember the days when every passenger on a cruise ship was treated like royalty and once you were out of your stateroom, no one knew or cared what category of room you had booked? Suite passengers had special amenities in their room but once they left the room they were not treated any differently than the guest who booked an inside room.

[cruzmaven]

Does anyone remember the days when every passenger on a cruise ship was treated like royalty and once you were out of your stateroom, no one knew or cared what category of room you had booked? Suite passengers had special amenities in their room but once they left the room they were not treated any differently than the guest who booked an inside room.

 

 

Really? Tell that to the people sailing steerage on the Titanic. :cool:

[ddakrt]

Does anyone remember the days when every passenger on a cruise ship was treated like royalty and once you were out of your stateroom, no one knew or cared what category of room you had booked? Suite passengers had special amenities in their room but once they left the room they were not treated any differently than the guest who booked an inside room.

Cost had came down drastically from the times you refer to as well.

 

I'm sure the maitre'd tells the servers if they're serving VIPs/suite guests, but it's not like the other pax are treated badly either. I've always had pleasant and friendly service from everyone I met aboard.

[justcake]

I know that everyone loves Disney cruises but our family did not. It was extremely expensive and maybe we were just unlucky but we did not have good service or much of a good time. They lost our luggage (that we later found ourselves on the wrong floor a day later), the service was not good and the room was just OK. My kids love NCL so much they can't wait to sail on the Epic. We took them on the Dawn and we have sailed on the Spirit ourselves. In my opinion, NCL is a much better value. As for the villa you will be in on the Epic, the amenities are unbelievable. You will have a butler, conceirge and access to your own private area all for a lower price then you will pay for a base room with Disney. You'll have at least twice as much space too. As for paying for extras, NCL charges no more than any other cruise line; there are just more options. Happy sailing!:D

[dznymom]

I sailed Disney 4 times with my kids and we all always had a blast. I have sailed NCL a few times now, and once was fortunate to sail in a Courtyard Villa. That experience was simply amazing. I felt like a Disney princess from start to finish! You really can't go wrong with either choice.