Disney Dream or Carnival Sensation?

[ladylemondrop]

I am looking at a short cruise to Bahamas from Port Canaveral next June, after 11 nights at Kissimmee, Disney Dream is sailing 6th June, 4 nights to Nassau and Castaway Cay, Carnival Sensation is sailing 7th June, 3 nights, just to Nassau. The question is this! Disney is £2500 for Family Verandah cabin, Carnival is £1,500 for a Grand Suite with extended balcony. Which do I choose? Is Disney really dreamy enough to make up the difference?!

Feedback Please!!!!

[mdvlprof]

For me, 3-nights is just not enough.

 

DCL rooms are bigger. Includes sodas. No smoky casino. 'Adult-only' is enforced. Shows are top-notch and family-friendly. Disney characters and princesses. It's Disney.

 

But I also sail on Carnival since Disney itineraries are limited.

[meatloafsfan]

1000 pounds is a big difference - and, while I do like the Disney cruises, I don't think on a 3 day cruise you're going to get that much extra value.

 

Even on the 3 day cruise, I'd hesitate to go with the ocean suite on Carnival because I don't imagine you'd be in the cabin much. I'd book a lower class of cabin (or two if you have a lot of people) and spend the savings on an awesome excursion or upgrade part of my Kissimmee vacation.

 

All that being said - the Disney Dream is a brand new ship and the Carnival Sensation is an older ship.

 

What about a 7 day on the Carnival Dream instead? It would probably come out to about the same cost as the 3 Day Disney Dream.

[dexddd]

We just had some friends do a 3 day on the Sensation while we were on the Dream and we met up in Nassau. I did some looking into the Sensation at the time for them and it was built in 1991 IIRC. The ship looked like it had some great food venues and has several water slides for the kids. Overall it looked like a great ship.

 

When I looked at the rates at the time, I can understand your question as the Sensation was quite a bit cheaper. The itinerary at the time was the same except the Sensation had a sea day on the last day and the Dream stopped at Castaway Cay.

 

I can't/won't answer your question for you as you have to decide. Note that there might be other options if you haven't already seen them. Carnival Ecstasy does 5 nights, Carnival Dream 7 nights and RCCL Freedom of the Seas does a 7 nighter.

[HiMagicFan]

1000 pounds is a big difference - and, while I do like the Disney cruises, I don't think on a 3 day cruise you're going to get that much extra value.

 

Even on the 3 day cruise, I'd hesitate to go with the ocean suite on Carnival because I don't imagine you'd be in the cabin much. I'd book a lower class of cabin (or two if you have a lot of people) and spend the savings on an awesome excursion or upgrade part of my Kissimmee vacation.

 

All that being said - the Disney Dream is a brand new ship and the Carnival Sensation is an older ship.

 

What about a 7 day on the Carnival Dream instead? It would probably come out to about the same cost as the 3 Day Disney Dream.

 

 

I agree with meatloafsfan...for 3 days (no matter which cruise line you choose) getting a suite or verandah when you will probably not spend a lot of time in your cabin may not be your best option.

 

Remember you want a short cruise and there will tons of things on board ship for you to do in that time, not to mention if you want to go to port so I would think the amount of time spent in the cabin would be minimal.

 

Plus the money you save could be put towards your next cruise deposit, spending money in the shops or upgrade yourself on a better shore excursion.

[GatorMomInNC]

Could you do the 5 day on the Carnival Ecstasy on June 9? That one stops in Half Moon Cay which is great for kids. At the risk of sounding like a cruise snob, a 5 day with a stop somewhere other than just Nassau is exponentially better than a 3 day no matter which cruise line you are on.

[LittleMissMagic]

If you're going for the ship, I'd recommend the Disney Dream. The Carnival Sensation is small and rather old.

 

But if you're more interested in the ports of call, you might check out longer cruises on other cruiselines. As mentioned above, the Carnival Dream and RCI Freedom of the Seas are two ships comparable in size and age to the Disney Dream, but sail longer itineraries with more ports.

[bbwex]

I haven't been on the Sensation, so it is hard to compare exactly, though I have been on a similar ship. At the time, I did not have kids with me, so it is a bit unfair to try to do a full comparison, I have heard many say that Carnival does a good job with kids.

 

On the other hand, as I said to DW when we took our DGD on the Wonder, Disney is an entertainment company that happens to own a cruise line! While there are certainly lots of adult things, the Disney atmosphere is unmatched. The shows are broadway quality but great for kids. The dining venues are great, and the care given to the kids AND the adults is really unmatched in terms of making it all a personalized event. Then of course, there are the characters wandering around.

 

I understand that Disney is more money, and not an insignificant amount of money, though there is the extra day (that doesn't offset the differential itself). If you have kids with you, I have to agree with mdvlprof that Disney is the better choice.

[Lily429]

think hard about the important features you are seeking...we did Sensation with a 7 year old (first cruise) on a 4 night; it was fun and a great value for the money. Freeport, Nassau, Sea Day...for us it was all about getting to the Bahamas for a few days. We booked an oceanview cabin for a very cheap rate; we were saving money for Atlantis which turned out to be a total waste. For us the itinerary is the determining factor, the cabin is next, and the ships amenities fall in last....we are a family of 3 that stick together so the shows and the casinos on the carnival ships mean nothing to us. I'd trade the entertainment for better food or cheaper drinks.

This year we are doing a Disney Dream 5 night; we decided this would be our BIG (money) cruise. We chose it for the ship, the food, and the private island experience PLUS the balcony cabin, the kids club and the overall Disney experience.....my daughter will most likely remember it forever. I cannot put a price on that.