Disney vs Norwegian?

[coffeebean]

Disney doesn't have a casino. I'm not a serious gambler but I do enjoy Video Poker when I cruise. Disney Cruise Lines is not an option for me.

[cruisecritiquer]

I've done 4 disney cruises, one of those was in an AFT Suite. I must admit it was amazing. The suite was huge with 2 full bathromms, living room seperate from full dining room with cupboards, a library in the living room, a double balcony that wrapped around to back of ship, a bedroom with a huge walk in closet. Amazing...yes. Worth what we paid at the time... uh no. I'm glad we could afford it at the time, but by no means would I ever do it again. We paid $3,890 for 2 adults and one child who was 9 at the time for a 4 night bahama disney cruise. Insane.... I know. But it was wonderful, the butler brought us fruit baskets daily, water bottles, truffles, candies, cookies, cakes, choc covered strawberries, and on the last night they gave us a limited edition lilo and stitch disney cruise line lithograph we now have framed in our dining room. This cruise was on the wonder in 2008. We have taken 2 cruises on Disney magic and 2 on Disney Wonder. We love disney. However...... the prices have become absurd. Instead of comparing pricing here's some apples to apples comparisons:

We discovered NCL in 2009, we are on our 5th cruise with NCL currently.

Food: We are not big foodies, however i'm vegetarian and both cruiseline cater to my requests. My husband and son LOVE meat, so there is always plenty of options for them. Disney's food is the best overall, but... we have never had a bad meal on NCL. There is more variety at the main dining room on disney, for seafood lovers it can be found almost nightly on disney. The buffets are all the same to me, only Disney has sea food included, but both ships have decent buffets.

Dining times: As others have noted, it is a strict dining rotation and you are going to be seated with random people, and those people will sit with you every night the remainder of the cruise, sometimes this can be good, and other times depending on the people it will be very awkward every night. ( that has happened to us on 2 cruises) On NCL you have freestyle, you can go where you want when you want and get a table for 2 or 3, or 4, or 10. Basically a table just for your party. You can eat whenever you want. Make it a date night or family dinner.

Kids Clubs: O.k. hands down Disney takes the cake in this comparison.... but wait..... my son actually enjoys NCL more. Hmmm, upon getting involved we learned Disney may in fact have a better kids club, but the activities for ages 8-12 are very kiddish, and the staff is very strict with the kids, they are not as patient as there isn't enough staff per kids. One night we counted over 45 kids in there with 3 counselors and they all looked real pissy. On NCL the staff the kid ratio is great, like 1 staff member per 5 kids, there has never been a packed kids club on NCL, but my son enjoys the activities, and the counselors a lot more. (For the record my son was age 8,9,and 10 when we did disney)

Entertainment: Disney is amazing the first time around, then we found ourselves skipping the shows on the next 3 cruises because they are all the exact same. They are very good, some of the best at sea, but 4 times?? same shows.... they need to switch it up with the prices they charge, each ship should offer different shows. NCL: on all 5 cruises... only saw 1 repeat. That's it. The shows are good, they had a cirque show that was just as good if not better than a disney cruise show. It was our favorite by far. (this was on the STAR) They incorporate stuff for kids, and stuff for adults so you get a nice mix, instead of all disney all the time.

Movies: this is a biggie with me, on sea days I love to watch movies in my room. So on DIsney it's ALL DISNEY all the time, they do have a movie theater that plays ONLY DISNEY movies. On NCL: You get everything including first run movies in your room for free. NCL wins this one.

Overall look of the ship: Disney wins hands down.

Pools: NCL gives disney a run for their money....Ncl has all the fancy slides, whereas the new disney ships offer some cool new slide as well, but NCL offers a great pool area for kids with slides for them too. I'd say NCL wins this one too.

Recreation: they both have jogging trails, shuffleboard, basketball area's, vollyball etc. This is a tie.

UPCHARGE restraunts: Disney has PALO at $15 per person, and REMY at $75 per person. (I have never tried REMY) Palo I have eaten at everytime.

o.k. at $15 per person it is 18 and over which meant my kid couldn't go. The food was amazing and better than any food we can get here in California at a land restraunt. AMAZING FOOD!!!! But you cannot book more than 2 times on a 7 night cruise. Whereas NCL has numerous upcharge places that offer steakhouse, brazillian steakhouse, mexican, italian, sushi, chinese, french etc. And there is no age limit and prices vary between $10 - $25 per person depending on the restraunt. And usually kids are half price of that cover charge. Sure we do date night a few nights, but there are nights we take our son with us, he loves a good meal. The food on NCL upcharge places are amazing. I'd say due to the above stated, NCL WINS in this catagory as well.

Staterooms: O.k. I cannot compare suite to suite, I've only done a suite on DIsney. But We always book balconies or mini suites on NCL. Minisuite is very comparable to Disney's balcony rooms, both have bathtub/shower combo, both have queen bed, and fold out couch and privacy curtain room divider, both have same size balcony. NCL has more drawers, and closet shelves. I'd say it's a tie if you are comparing Disney Balcony room to NCL Minisuite. NCL balcony room is smaller than disney's, and will only offer a shower, and no privacy curtain.. room is smaller and will feel a little cramped ( at least it did for 3 of us).

Nightclubs: Don't know, can't really compare. We have walked thru them and they all seem the same, we don't really go clubbing.

Bars: All the same, alcohol is alcohol. LOL

Casino's: None on Disney and always one on NCL

All ships do art auctions, health seminars, golf putt tourny's, etc.

Welcome aboard party: Disney wins hands down, you can't beat the characters on the outdoor stage. The outdoor Dumbotrom movie theater by the pool is amazing as well.

***Disney's pirate night BEATS NCL White hot party BY FARRRRR!!!! Fireworks at sea need I say more.

$$$$$MONEY talks: Dcl is $1,000 plus more than an NCL cruise, comparing apples to apples an NCL 4 night bahama cruise is $1400 for 3 in a balcony room, same room on disney is $3700 for their 4 night bahama. You can do a 7 or 9 night NCL for the price of disney. I even tried to justify the unlimited soda for everyone on disney, but even still on NCL it's $6.25 per person per day. So even that kepps NCL a lot cheaper than Disney.

Hope I helped. It's all up to you in the end. I wouldn't trade any of my Disney cruises, I just won't book anymore because the price is ridiculous. We have enjoyed some AMAZING itineraries on NCL, we have done a 7 night Mediteranean, 7 night Alaska, 7 night Exotic caribbean, 4 night bahama's, and about to takee a 12 night Southern Caribbean. On DIsney we did 7 night Western Caribbean (we did this 2 times), 7 night eastern caribbean, and a 4 night bahamas. Happy cruising!

 

This thread is old and I know I'm bumping it by commenting and someone will fuss at me about it but we were considering a disney cruise...the only thing that put us off were the itinerary (blah) and the price (?). This was one of the most helpful posts in this regard that I have ever read. Thanks!

[rickdeni]

We have taken our grandchildren on five Disney cruises and yes they are expensive but are worth it. On our first cruise they were 3 1/2 and 1 1/2. The oldest is a girl and the first time she saw Mickey in the lobby when we first entered the ship, the look in her eyes was worth a million dollars. They are now 12 and 14 and I suggested a RC cruise because of the many things for their age groups to do but all they want is Disney. The 12 year old still spends time in the Club but the 14 year old does not but they both still enjoy their Disney Cruises. My husband and I also enjoy them as it is the only cruise line that enforces "Adult Only" areas. The service is exceptional and we find the food to have more healthy options than other cruise lines. Yet, the grandchildren still love their chicken nuggets and hamburgers. The entertainment is Broadway on a Ship. When my husband and I cruise alone we do not do Disney but with the kids as long as they want it, it will be Disney.

[Irene7]

Ok, I will bump this old thread too! I can not compare the two cruise lines since we are going on our first NCL cruise in 2014. I do know that they are completely different experiences so I myself will try not to compare because I want to have a good time regarless of what cruise line we are on. I will say this though, we have been so spoiled on Disney and love the line very very much and will return in the future. My kids are grown 18 and 22 and they have a blast on the Disney ships and so do my hubby and me. We found plenty to do and their service, entertainment and food are top notch. Looking forward to our cruise on the Gem but also looking forward to sailing with Disney again. Your vacation is what you make of it and if you go with a good attitude, the odds of having fun are high.:D

[Cruise4Fun27]

Cost for Palo on DCL is now $25pp, unless you booked before they changed it. I can't make any other comparisons yet as my first NCL has not happened yet. :)

[Mom2B&Z]

We have sailed NCL 3 times and DCL (Dream) once and I completely agree with travelexplore3's review. Yes DCL caters to children, but my boys wouldn't even go into the kids club on DCL because no one seemed interested in getting to know them like the NCL kids crew do. It was a crowded free for all with very little interaction between the cast members and the children. My boys loved the Aquaduck, but not the 1hr+ waits. The pools were neat but so crowded I had trouble watching my child when that was the only thing I was doing. Eating on a schedule is not for us, and I hated rushing at the end of the day so we wouldn't inconvenience others at supper. The one thing we loved was Castaway Cay, we walked to almost the end of the island and had a blast away from the crowds.

We are not a big Disney family, so spending the extra money for the Disney experience sings appealing. I'm glad we did it once, but we won't do it again.

[Irene7]

DCL does not hold a candle to NCL as far as suites are concerned. No, you will not see fireworks from your suite, but you will pay less for a full suite than you will pay for a balcony on the magic. I was not a fan of the DCL shows, and paid for Shirley Temples on both cruise lines for the kids. I like both kids clubs, but I love NCL's prices. I like going to the casino, not an DCL option. I do not like rotational dining, or being told that I can only eat at Palo's 2x or so during the week. Freestyle is for me, as is Cagney's as much as I want.:D

 

BTW, would still sail Disney if the kids wanted to! They are now 13, 11 and almost 10.

 

The freestyle is my main concern for our booked cruise on the Gem. I personally like traditional dining and the rotational system was fun. I like knowing that when I arrive my table is waiting for me and I like how I can request a table for 4 when booking and Disney has always given us that. I have read many reviews complaining that with freestyle you end up waiting with a buzzer for an hour or more waiting for a table. If you opt for the specialty restaurants you need to make reservations anyway so what's the thrill of freestyle, it seems like going out to eat when at home. I hope these people exaggerated in the reviews and that it flows much better then that. I'm still looking forward to our cruise and giving NCL a try but I guess I will find out then if freestyle cruising is for us.

[Demonyte]

I have read many reviews complaining that with freestyle you end up waiting with a buzzer for an hour or more waiting for a table. If you opt for the specialty restaurants you need to make reservations anyway so what's the thrill of freestyle, it seems like going out to eat when at home. I hope these people exaggerated in the reviews and that it flows much better then that. I'm still looking forward to our cruise and giving NCL a try but I guess I will find out then if freestyle cruising is for us.

 

I too hope that you'll enjoy Freestyle Cruising but I need to point out that there are no waits to MDRs if you are a bit flexible and choose not to eat during the 1,5 hr window when majority of other passengers are thinking to do the same. We like to eat early, around 6-6:30pm, and never have had to wait more than few minutes max, wait an hour and you'll have longer waits (and even then, you probably will get free glasses of bubbly for your wait).

 

Also, the need for reservations to speciality restaurants is not true in most cases - Teppanyaki is one that has very limited seating so there reservations are truly needed, but we have had no problems just walking in to any of other speciality restaurants (with the obivious exception of Valentines Day when everyone wants to do something special). Of course the timing applies here too, if one wants to eat at the same time as all the others, there is bound to be "problems".

[dexddd]

This thread is old and I know I'm bumping it by commenting and someone will fuss at me about it but we were considering a disney cruise...the only thing that put us off were the itinerary (blah) and the price (?). This was one of the most helpful posts in this regard that I have ever read. Thanks!

 

Which DCL ship? While the Magic just got a fairly big renovation, the Dream and Fantasy are nicer since they are newer although much of the experience will be the same.

 

Did you see Gambees pictures of the Dream? There is also an extensive picture review of the Fantasy by a couple folks on the DCL Forum.

 

And while there is always the discussion about DCL being so much higher, looking at some of the GA and BA pricing for trips we were looking at, DCL wasn't crazy compared to some of that pricing.

[cruisecritiquer]

Which DCL ship? While the Magic just got a fairly big renovation, the Dream and Fantasy are nicer since they are newer although much of the experience will be the same.

 

Did you see Gambees pictures of the Dream? There is also an extensive picture review of the Fantasy by a couple folks on the DCL Forum.

 

And while there is always the discussion about DCL being so much higher, looking at some of the GA and BA pricing for trips we were looking at, DCL wasn't crazy compared to some of that pricing.

 

I don't have an issue with the ship and I've seen many reviews over the last several years that I've considered it. The limited itineraries still remain an issue for my family, unfortunately. I checked their website yesterday for destinations that might interest us since they have recently added new itineraries but there was nothing I really wanted to do. The price isn't prohibitive but the ship would have to be going to a destination that I really want to see if I'm going to pay 25-50% more for the cruise. Nothing against DCL, if we see something we really like we'll book it. The price isn't that big of an issue as the itinerary. I just have several places I'd like to see before doing another cruise to places I've already been. :)

Edited October 22, 2013 by cruisecritiquer

[Irene7]

I too hope that you'll enjoy Freestyle Cruising but I need to point out that there are no waits to MDRs if you are a bit flexible and choose not to eat during the 1,5 hr window when majority of other passengers are thinking to do the same. We like to eat early, around 6-6:30pm, and never have had to wait more than few minutes max, wait an hour and you'll have longer waits (and even then, you probably will get free glasses of bubbly for your wait).

 

Also, the need for reservations to speciality restaurants is not true in most cases - Teppanyaki is one that has very limited seating so there reservations are truly needed, but we have had no problems just walking in to any of other speciality restaurants (with the obivious exception of Valentines Day when everyone wants to do something special). Of course the timing applies here too, if one wants to eat at the same time as all the others, there is bound to be "problems".

 

Thank you so much for your suggestions. 6 to 6:30 would be perfect for us since we are not late eaters. I myself hate to wait but my hubby gets down right miserable - a real kill joy! Thanks again!:)

[jackparts]

Disney cruise fan here, more expensive than NCL but, sorry NCL, Disney is hands down MY favorite when I cruise with my grandkids. I love the idea of knowing I can relax that with the kids in the clubs, they are secure. I have gone there and watched and was really impressed with the care being given and the watchdog attitude of cast members. Also, Disney does not close down or charge extra for for kids meal time. No casinos means the extra cruise costs are a wash. Food is subjective so that is also a wash. The little things Disney does, washer and dryers, announcing you when you board, wait staff that is way friendlier because they stay with you every nite, just gives me a feel good cruise. The NCL freestyle dining is nice, appreciate the chance to eat at my time, even with the wait time. However, any cruise I am on is great.

[Ed]

If I could eat in Palo's every night that would give me a little edge for DCL. The rotation of restaurants, especially animator's and parrot cay did not impress me. Food was average at best and did not care for planned seating times. Shows were typically Disney with great music, costumes, and story lines. Fireworks are fun and the way they have the ship's pools split so there is an adult section is great. Also castaway cay has an adult section which is very nice. We did DCL without children and did have a great time but like others said for twice the price. If you have kids, money isn't too much of an options go for DCL for the Disney experience.

[jenny105]

I've sailed with DCL twice and NCL four times. Although I do like NCL - Disney hands down! They are superior in every way - the ships are top notch, food is good, entertainment can't be beat, fireworks are fun, kids areas - c'mon it's Disney, and the adult sections are fabulous. Of course they have a higher price tag but it's worth it IMO.

Edited October 29, 2013 by jenny105

[kcwingwalker]

Disney is on my list when and if I have grandchildren. Hoping my "Granny" years are a long way off...............I'm just not ready!

[CruisinGmaw]

Okay I'm new to this and I'm sure I will probably get in trouble for bumping an old thread as well, but I wanted to add my input. There seems to be some new threads on this same topic DCL vs NCL but there are not many post on them and this thread does a better job of explaining the differenent aspects of the cruise lines.

 

Prior to sailing on Disney last year my husband of 48 years and myself both swore that Princess Cruise Line was the best and for adults it does still hold a close 2nd in our hearts. We waited a long time to have grandchildren and 6 years ago we were blessed with twin granddaughters.

 

Last year, at 5 years old we took them on their first cruise on the Disney Fantasy. We loved it so much we are booked on the Fantasy in June of this year again.

 

Where to start?? From the time you board this ship to the time you leave you and your family are treated like Royalty!! Our girls had so much fun and it was worth every penny extra you pay for that experience. I realize not everyone can afford Disney, but if you can it is going to be the experience of a lifetime with your children.

 

We have sailed NCL's many times and they do have the Nickelodean theme aboard their ships. We did see character interaction with the children on NCL but in no way does it compare to DCL.

 

The Disney ship is cleaner and nicer, the food is better, they are very detailed oriented, and their staff is all about the children all the time. NCL is still primarily an adult cruise line. We did notice more familys on the last NCL we took. I do believe they are working toward being a family friendly cruise line, but they are still miles apart from Disney in my opinion.

 

Some have said they enjoy freestyle dinner to the more structured schedule that you have with Disney. That to me is personal preference. We have done both. What we loved about dining with Disney is you get to go to a different dining room each night and your same wait staff follows you. Our wait staff was AMAZING!! Our granddaughters greeted them with hugs by the second night of the trip they were so great with them. The different themes in each dining room was great. We expecially loved the interaction at the Animator's Palate.

 

No one has mentioned the Pirate Night which is a great part of the Disney experience as well. I will confess that my husband and I were part of the 70+ crowd dressed as pirates and we loved it.

 

To be fair to NCL we have not taken our girls on a NCL but I do agree with some other posters that say that it does seem to be better suited for older children.

 

We always explore every ship we board and the kids club area on NCL is nice but it does not compare to the Disney Fantasy. We did not leave our girls there and dine at the Remy or Palo, so I can't speak to those. The entertainment on Disney was really great and again geared toward children.

 

We did notice many couples sailing on Disney that did not have children and the adult only areas appeared really nice as well.

 

As far as ports of call go, we have traveled to many, but this experience was not about the ports of call. Although, I will say Castaway Cay is by far the best private island beach experience we have had.

 

DCL was everything I expected it to be and more. Our granddaughters can hardly wait until we go again. We haven't told them we are more excited than they are. It was wonderful and magical!! It was Disney at it's best!!

[big al]

Anyone done both? How do they compare - food, entertainment, activities, kids' club?

 

We will be traveling with a 4 year old and are trying to determine if DCL is worth the premium or not.

 

Thanks!

 

My wife & I just sailed the Disney Dream in Nov...we also have done 5 NCL..also 23 others..no comparison, Disney has THEE best entertainment, service ( they ANNOUNCE YOUR FAMILY NAME WHEN YOU GET ON BOARD!!) , best buffet, best private island, ( HAL's Half Moon Cay 2nd)...great cabins..but, YES, it is more $$..we are seniors, no kids, and we LOVED the Dream! No casino...a 4 yr. old will LOVE the pools, Pirate show & fireworks, the character meetings all over the ship, and the rotation dining is especially great for young kids...Animator's Palate is my fav, with the turtle Crush, talking LIVE to all the kids ( really worth the price of the cruise!!)..we loved all our NCL cruises along with the others, but Disney, IMO, is really in a league by itself - especially for a 4 yr. old....if it's the Dream, do it..or the Fantasy..the Wonder in Miami is nice, but much fewer perqs...BTW, we thought the food in the MDR's were better than all the others...I also agree that "Believe" and "Villains" were just fantastic shows, although the latter may be a little dark for 4 yr. olds ( it's all about all the Disney Villains- great show!!)...IF the $$ is not that big a deal to you, Disney will NOT disappoint!!

 

Big Al

[Irene7]

Okay I'm new to this and I'm sure I will probably get in trouble for bumping an old thread as well, but I wanted to add my input. There seems to be some new threads on this same topic DCL vs NCL but there are not many post on them and this thread does a better job of explaining the differenent aspects of the cruise lines.

 

Prior to sailing on Disney last year my husband of 48 years and myself both swore that Princess Cruise Line was the best and for adults it does still hold a close 2nd in our hearts. We waited a long time to have grandchildren and 6 years ago we were blessed with twin granddaughters.

 

Last year, at 5 years old we took them on their first cruise on the Disney Fantasy. We loved it so much we are booked on the Fantasy in June of this year again.

 

Where to start?? From the time you board this ship to the time you leave you and your family are treated like Royalty!! Our girls had so much fun and it was worth every penny extra you pay for that experience. I realize not everyone can afford Disney, but if you can it is going to be the experience of a lifetime with your children.

 

We have sailed NCL's many times and they do have the Nickelodean theme aboard their ships. We did see character interaction with the children on NCL but in no way does it compare to DCL.

 

The Disney ship is cleaner and nicer, the food is better, they are very detailed oriented, and their staff is all about the children all the time. NCL is still primarily an adult cruise line. We did notice more familys on the last NCL we took. I do believe they are working toward being a family friendly cruise line, but they are still miles apart from Disney in my opinion.

 

Some have said they enjoy freestyle dinner to the more structured schedule that you have with Disney. That to me is personal preference. We have done both. What we loved about dining with Disney is you get to go to a different dining room each night and your same wait staff follows you. Our wait staff was AMAZING!! Our granddaughters greeted them with hugs by the second night of the trip they were so great with them. The different themes in each dining room was great. We expecially loved the interaction at the Animator's Palate.

 

No one has mentioned the Pirate Night which is a great part of the Disney experience as well. I will confess that my husband and I were part of the 70+ crowd dressed as pirates and we loved it.

 

To be fair to NCL we have not taken our girls on a NCL but I do agree with some other posters that say that it does seem to be better suited for older children.

 

We always explore every ship we board and the kids club area on NCL is nice but it does not compare to the Disney Fantasy. We did not leave our girls there and dine at the Remy or Palo, so I can't speak to those. The entertainment on Disney was really great and again geared toward children.

 

We did notice many couples sailing on Disney that did not have children and the adult only areas appeared really nice as well.

 

As far as ports of call go, we have traveled to many, but this experience was not about the ports of call. Although, I will say Castaway Cay is by far the best private island beach experience we have had.

 

DCL was everything I expected it to be and more. Our granddaughters can hardly wait until we go again. We haven't told them we are more excited than they are. It was wonderful and magical!! It was Disney at it's best!!

 

 

There is nothing wrong with bringing back an old thread, especially since people still ask this question. Your comparison is a great one, and appreciated. I myself love DCL and my daughters are grown. We had a great time in the adults only area. One thing that I loved is how strict Disney is about keeping childen out of the adult area. Pirates night is so much fun and should not be missed. The cabins are so spacous and I love the split bathrooms. Enjoy your up coming cruise on the Fantasy - I am very jealous. Castaway Cays is amazing!!!

 

We have an upcoming cruise in Oct on RCCL EOS to Bermuda (I wish Disney did Bermuda), and then NCL's Gem on an 8 nighter to the Bahamas. We are mainly taking these cruises due to the fact that they leave from the northeast and will save us flight fare. But will definately return to DCL for the next one.:)

Edited March 1, 2014 by Irene7

[cruiserninja1]

Been on both . As far as kids clubs go , do you think your 4 year old will be at the club a lot ? Of so do DCL if not then do NCL and book a suite so he/she can have a little room to play. I feel that I was able to relax a lot more on the NCL cruise because we were not trying to do everything ! Somehow I think we were trying to justify the cost on DCL by doing everything they offered on the itinerary . With NCL it seems like everyone is doing their own thing whenever they want wherever they want on the ship. I feel like your child would enjoy DCL a little more in a year or two .

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[wrk2cruisesoon]

I have sailed both Disney and NCL as well as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. I may have a different perspective than many because my DS who has been to Disney World many times was too overstimulated on Disney Dream. My DS has Aspergers and the crowds and the kids club were a problem for him. He didn't last long in the kids club because all the children who are younger than teens all play together. He needs the structure of activities and the crew members were not good at announced structured play. In addition, the pool deck was so crowded that people stood in the pools jam packed. It was the first and last ship that I thought during the day, we need to do something other than the pool deck. I will agree that the staterooms were nicer, the shows were better and the dining room rotation was neat but the value just isn't there for us. My son enjoyed Oasis and Breakaway much more than the Disney cruise. We love all things Disney but I would rather do two cruises a year than one Disney cruise.

[FireEater]

Fore a 4 year old? Pick for your desires and enjoyment. A 4 year old will forget by lunch the enjoyment they had in the morning...

[newmexicoNita]

Anyone done both? How do they compare - food, entertainment, activities, kids' club?

 

We will be traveling with a 4 year old and are trying to determine if DCL is worth the premium or not.

 

Thanks!

 

I have done both and you really can't compare them: one line is strictly a family line and twice as expensive; the other is more a multi generation cruise line. DLS has larger cabins, probably better food, but food is subjective and a great kids program for younger ones. It is also much more expensive. NCL is more a cruise line for all ages, I know older kids (above the age of 8 we will say) that enjoyed NCL better. Entertainment, again, depending on what you are looking for. Obviously DCL leans toward the kids and the Disney theme; NCL is more geared to the adult type of entertainment, though they do have a lot of family entertainment as well.

 

Both lines have something to offer, it simply depends on your likes, your budget and what you are interesting experiencing. Your 4 year old would love Disney, but probably also enjoy the kids program on NCL. I don't know many kids who have not enjoyed it.

[FireEater]

I have been on 2 Disney cruises. Their island is top notch. Their ships have been GREAT. You are truly paying for all the "Imagineering" on Disney line. They have some great stuff, both for adults and children. Food is subjective.

Our first cruise, the food was so so. The 2nd one was a hit out of the park on the quality of food they prepared for us.

 

We hardly saw the kids around the ship, unless we walked by the pool. They do keep them active, and out of site for most of the time we were walking the passageways.

 

We have no kids so I do not know how the kid clubs are, but come on, it is Disney.....They stop at nothing to make it a memorable experience for all age kids....

 

I know nothing about NCL. 1st cruise is not until April 2015. For what I have read, it is not as exciting as NCL for some, but some it is.

 

Good luck on your decision.

[FireEater]

Just saw the below on the Carnival Board. Maybe that will help in knowing Disney Line.

 

"Let me start by saying I have been on 3 previous Carnival cruises and I have enjoyed each of them, BUT I just returned from my first Disney Cruise, and it simply blew Carnival AWAY! Now going into it I certainly excepted Disney to be better than Carnival given the significantly higher price that they charge, and they really did deliver. I had VERY HIGH expectations after all the research I did prior to the Disney cruise, and Disney really did meet and even exceed those high expectations. Let me explain the pluses and minus of each. (I can only compare CCL and DCL, as I have not tried any other lines…..YET)

 

Food

Disney’s food was just simply better, and of much higher quality than the food on Carnival. I mean in the MDR I had lamb chops that were amazing! Veal that was awesome! Lobster & Crab pasta simply delicious! Just to name a few. I will say the one thing I missed from Carnival was the warm chocolate melting cake. Disney’s desserts were good (especially the cheesecake! Carnival’s cheesecake is ALWAYS terrible and I don’t know why!), but I really would have enjoyed a warm chocolate melting cake.

 

The buffet food on Disney was also a step above. Lots more seafood options (including peel and eat shrimp everyday!) The breakfast buffet included steak & eggs! And I must say I absolutely loved the Mickey Mouse shaped waffles! One thing I did not like about Disney was the lack or MDR alternatives on the last night of the cruise. We were exhausted from a long day at Castaway Cay and didn’t feel like going to the MDR for dinner, but when we tried to go to Cabanas (The buffet/alternative restaurant on Disney) that they do not serve dinner on the final evening of the cruise. The only available alternative was Mater’s Grill (Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Fries, etc) I mean I couldn’t even get Pizza because it closed down at 6PM and didn’t re-open until 9.

 

We did not have a chance to try Palo or Remy on this cruise, so I can’t compare them to Carnival’s steakhouse, but I will say that I think the MDR food on Disney is better than the steakhouse on Carnival, so I can only imagine how good Remy & Palo must be! Can’t wait to try them next time!

 

Overall Disney definitely wins the food battle.

 

Rooms

I loved the setup of the balcony rooms on Disney. They provided SO MUCH room I didn’t even know what to do with all of it! Also providing the curtain to separate the seating area (and children’s sleeping area) from the parents bed was great! Nice touch. We were traveling with our almost 2 year and Disney also provided a diaper genie in the room that the steward emptied twice per day, very very convenient! And a really nice tough that made traveling with baby much easier. The balconies have sliding glass doors which is a much better feature than the Carnival ones as well.

 

I also loved the bathroom setup. Splitting the bathroom into 2 separate rooms is a marvelous idea! One bathroom had a sink, mirror, and toilet, while the other had a sink, mirror, and shower. This allowed all of us to get ready at the same time. It was great! And the shower is SOOO much larger than the Carnival showers. I am over 6 feet tall, and always struggle with the Carnival showers, there just simply isn’t enough room! Not a problem on Disney at all! The shower also included a small tub to bathe children (very nice!), a regular shower head, and also a rain head which I could stand under without hitting my head! A much better setup than the Carnival bathrooms. Also just one comment on the public bathrooms- they are HUGE compared to the ones on Carnival!!! No backing in required in these bad boys! LOL. And each of them is different and they stick with whatever the theme in that portion of the ship is! It was a nice touch for sure.

 

The stateroom TV system is incredible as well. You can literally watch every Disney movie on demand in room, plus other Disney Channels chows, and cartoons, etc. It was awesome, even though we didn’t watch it a lot. Too much other stuff to do on a cruise than sit in your cabin and watch TV. Also Disney has ESPN and ESPN2 available in your cabin, unlike Carnival where the only way to watch ESPN is in bars or on the big screen.

 

All of the rooms include a mini-fridge and its empty so you can use it for your own drinks without having to remove all the annoying mini-bar stuff, and it actually keeps things really cold, unlike the Carnival ones.

 

Disney wins hands down in the room category. I can’t think of a single room feature from Carnival that is better.

 

Service

Let me just say that I have never had bad service on a Carnival cruise, but again Disney’s was just simply better. Every single cast member that I interacted with was phenomenal. Always asking if you are enjoying yourself, is this your first cruise, is there anything I can do to make your experience better, etc. Special requests were always fulfilled.

 

Our wait staff really was great, and they were not completely overwhelmed by the number of guests they were serving the way the Carnival wait staff always seems to be. When you entered your dining room each night the waiters were all there waiting to seat you. I loved the rotational dining. It was like going to a different restraint each night, but having the same wait staff that already knew your preferences. One of the biggest wow moments for me was when the waiter brought my almost 2 year old her meal, and actually started cutting it all up for her, so that her mother and I could start enjoying our dinners. It really was awesome. We also saw our waiter in Cabanas for breakfast and he would bring fruit over for our daughter to snack on while we were getting her breakfast ready. It was very thoughtful of him. It really was this little touches that took a good cruise experience and made it simply great!

 

Entertainment

The main shows on Disney were just as great as you would expect them to be. Disney has a HUGE advantage in this area given all of the characters they have at their disposable that everyone is already familiar with. In 3 Carnival cruises I have literally only found one main production show that was even worth sitting through the entire thing! (Ticket to Ride on Carnival Freedom) Every other show I have gone to, I have left before it was over because I found it unwatchable. Disney’s productions were marvelous, with the Golden Mickey’s being my absolute favorite. I mean they even decorate the hallways leading to the Walt Disney Theater like an awards show entrance, complete with a rope line and red carpet. It was a very nice touch.

 

I will say that I missed the comedians from Carnival, though this was less of a big deal since the main productions were so good. On Carnival since most of the shows are terrible, we usually just skip them and go see a comedian instead.

 

The bars on the Carnival ships are definitely busier than the ones on Disney, but overall the bars themselves were better on Disney. All of the various adult bars on clustered together in one themed area on Deck 4 Aft, The District. It was very cool, and each better had a very different theme and feeling. Disney really does themes better than anyone. When you went into the champagne bar, it felt like you were inside a bottle of champagne. In the skyline bar, you really felt like you were sitting in a lounge overlooking a famous city’s skyline. Simply spectacular. I also found the drink prices on Disney to be far more reasonably priced. A Captain & Coke was like $5.50, that’s easily a $8 drink on a Carnival ship.

 

Again, Disney wins in the entertainment category, though if you are looking for packed bars, and a big ole drunken party Carnival may be the better option.

 

Pools

The Mickey & Donald pools are both larger than the pools I have experienced on any Carnival ship, and they are freshwater instead of salt water which is a huge plus to me. It makes swimming in them much more enjoyable. One other really cool feature of the pools is that when they have big deck parties, they actually cover the pools, creating WAY MORE deck space! Great idea!

 

The adults only pool is area on Disney is phenomenal! Blows Carnival out of the water. It is so nice to have adult only pool, hot tubs, bar and everything right together. It always bugs me on Carnival on the Conquest class ships that the adults only pool is at the opposite end of the ship from the Serenity area. Also the adults only pool is not very peaceful with the pizza and ice cream areas right there with it. So while kids may not be in the pool, they are certainly in the area, and it loses its quiet appeal. On Disney Dream the adult pool has 3 different depths, depending on if you just want to sit in like a ½ foot of water, jump in the 6 ft deep area, or sit around in the 3-4 ft part. It really is a neat setup. Also there is a bar right there to order drinks without even having to get all the way out of the pool!

 

There are also 2 hot tubs in the adult only area, and they are actually HOT! It’s amazing! I have always found the Carnival hot tubs to be more like bath water than a hot tub, not on Disney. I mean I could only sit in the hot tub for 10-15 minutes and had to get out. This is the way it should be. Also the hot tubs have a clear bottom so you can see straight down off the side of the ship which is neat, and the side of the hot tub is also clear so it makes it look like an infinity pool! (The hot tubs on the pool deck are this way as well, not just the ones in the adult area)

 

The one other nice thing in the adult only area, in addition to the pool side bar, there is also the cove café when you can get food, and coffee, etc without having to leave the adult area. It really is a great setup!!

 

The AquaDuck is a very unique ride and while I enjoyed it, I would have liked a regular body slide too. So I did miss the regular waterslides that you can find on most of the Carnival ships. I would not trade the AquaDuck for a body slide, but I would really like to see a ship with both.

 

Disney wins easily on Pools, Hot tubs, and Adult only area.

 

Pictures

There were never long lines to debark the ship in port because Disney does not have annoying photographers that try to force everyone to get their picture taken on the gangway and hold up the line! The photographers are available if you WANT to get a picture, but don’t try to force you, and don’t hold up others who are just trying to get off the ship. Carnival please read this and stop it with the annoying photographers!

 

At all of the characters experiences Disney has a professional photographer to take pictures, but they also ALWAYS have a second cast member there that will take pictures with your personal camera, cell phone, etc so that you are not forced to buy all of the professional pictures. They were more than willing to take the extra time to get good shots, or do different groupings of people, and since the CM was there you were not forced to leave anyone out. Very nice! Carnival would never do anything like this because they want you to purchase the professional pictures, Disney makes it easy for you to choose.

 

The entire photo experience is better on Disney. All of you pictures are linked to you room key, and you can view them digitally, or it will tell you your photo book number, and you just pull it out and bam ALL of the print outs are right there too. No endless searching on board after board trying to find yourself. So much more convenient, and I actually purchased a few photos because it was so user friendly. I have never purchased a single photo on Carnival because I don’t want to spend the time searching all over the place to find the darn things!

 

Misc.

Just some other random observations of things that made my Disney cruise great!

 

- Disney is a more relaxed atmosphere. The cruise director NEVER made endless announcements about booking shore excursions, or Bingo, or duty free specials, or gold by the inch! In fact outside of the announcements around the muster drill, and announcements that we were cleared to go ashore, or preparing to depart ports, I really can’t remember any others. It was nice.

- Having a fireworks show at sea was AWESOME! This is definitely not something you want to miss on a Disney cruise. Also the midnight buffet after the fireworks show was INCREDIBLE! Freshly made crapes that you could stuff and top with whatever you like! I was in heaven. (Lots and lots of other options too, but the crapes were my favorite part)

- Castaway Cay was gorgeous! And being able to dock there instead of having to tender made it more convenient. (I have not actually been to Half Moon Cay, so I can’t effectively compare the 2, but I really loved Castaway Cay.)

- The onboard movie theater looked great. Its 2 decks, and has nice cushy seats, and it shows movies that are currently in theaters for FREE! I also hear that if a new Disney movie is premiering during your cruise that they do a midnight PremEAR onboard, which would be cool, though I didn’t actually get to experience this because no new Disney movies hit theaters during our cruise.

- There were no chair hogs, I never had any issue finding a lounger in the sun, or a cushy chair in the adults only area, or a table at the buffet, or a seat in the theater. TO be honest I never felt crowded on this ship AT ALL. Even though it is the largest ship I have sailed on to date.

- All of the décor on the ship felt far more elegant than anything I have experienced on a Carnival ship. While I don’t hate Carnival’s exaggerated décor the way that many people do, I just found the Disney décor to be much nicer, and more elegant. Disney also had a lot of little touches to be on the lookout for that were quite enjoyable. As you are riding up in some of the elevators there are various characters painted along the elevators shafts, and they are different in each elevator! This made it fun to look for different characters each time! In some of the hallways there were “paintings” of characters that looked very real, that were actually digital screens and they would come to life! This was a real treat that I absolutely loved!! It kind of startled me the first time, but then after that I was always trying to find other ones throughout the ship. All of the walls, and lighting, and curtains, and railings throughout the ship had subtle Disney references (often Mickey Mouse ears, but not always) that really made things fun. I never found it to be over the top either, just enjoyable.

- I also found the ship to be very easy to navigate. You could walk from one end of the ship to the other on most of the decks, and you could do so without having to talk through a dining room, which was really nice!

 

So let me just say that if you have never tried a Disney cruise that you absolutely, positively SHOULD! Yes they charge a premium price, but they also deliver a premium product. It really is worth the price. Do yourself a favor and save the money and experience a Disney cruise. (Skip 2 or 3 Carnival cruises if you have to save the money!) I am sure I will take another Carnival cruise at some point, as they do deliver a decent product at a very affordable price, but I am already trying to figure out when I can do another Disney cruise this year! Because the experience really was unforgettable! "

[MissMet]

Been on 5 DCL & 5 NCL (we have no children & in our 20s & 30s) & DCL is our favorite with NCL second. We did a 14 day transatlantic on DCL Magic with 5 sea days straight, again, without children, & were sad when we spotted land.

 

Read through most of this thread & instead of doing my own comparison I'm just going to clarify some misinformation that I've seen.

 

NCL- New ships offer the iconcierge app & for a fee you can text fellow cruisers if you own a smartphone. DCL provides two cell phones in every stateroom free of charge to call or text anyone on the ship. AN AMAZING FREE PERK that NCL doesn't come close to meeting.

 

DCL- not good for movies. Not true. Disney staterooms now have the most vast selection of on demand movies I've ever seen on any ship & in any hotel I've visited. 100s of movies available on Demand. Disney owns many movie companies- so it's not just their kids movies. They also have a dedicated movie theater that runs first run movies- again, Disney owns other studios like Touchstone, Marvel, LucasFilms... If it's in theaters during your cruise & it's a Disney owned film, you get to see it for free as many times as you like in the theater.

 

DCL- no specialty restaurants. Not True, every ship has Palo & there's also Remy on the new ships.

 

DCL- after 4pm there's no food except main dining room. Not true & really have no clue how someone could come to that conclusion??? Room service, fast food, specialty restaurants & the buffet is available.

 

DCL- You have to sit with strangers at dinner. NOT TRUE. I have been on 5 DCL cruises & all 5 I requested a private table when booking & all 5 cruises I have gotten a private table. We have been a party of 2, 3 & 4 and we never had an issue getting our own table. We also liked having the late seating. At first the thought of starting dinner at 8:15pm was terrible, but we found that we LOVE IT. First off, there's VERY FEW children at the late seating. Plus, even if there are DCL's kids club staff picks up the kids after the first 30 minutes or so, so that they eat with their families, but the parents can enjoy the rest of dinner on their own. Also with late seating, you never have to feel rushed to get back to the ship to change for dinner. You can enjoy empty pools, slides etc... while everyone else is rushing to get ready for dinner. We loved it!

 

DCL- Kids everywhere. NOT TRUE. We are a young couple without children & DCL is the best cruise ship & private island for adult only areas. NCL, after 8pm on the BA adult areas become open to all. DCL after 9pm half a deck becomes adult only...not to mention the adult only pool- which is ALWAYS adult only.

 

DCL- Not worth the price. Not true. DCL allows you to bring on your own alcohol- no fee. Only a corking fee IF you bring your own wine to the restaurant. Do you realize what a savings it is for us to bring all our own beer & rum?! Not to mention they offer free soda or you can bring your own soda on board. The service is amazing, the staterooms are amazing, the second bathroom is a huge blessing! I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. :)

 

You can't go wrong with either, but if you can afford it, DCL all the way!! No comparison. You get what you pay for. You have to pay to be in a suite on NCL to be treated the way you are treated in an inside stateroom on DCL. Their service is top notch. Proof is in the fact that even whith prices close to double other ships- they're still filling their ships.

Edited March 6, 2014 by MissMet