Royal Caribbean vs. Disney Cruise Line

[lawyerboy5555]

Okay - so we're D+ on Royal Caribbean, but we're considering venturing out and trying Disney Cruise Line. Has anyone actually done both? I'm really curious as to thoughts/comparisons. We have one 6yr old child. Disney seems to be more expensive for the room size, but any thoughts from people who have actually sailed on both (please let me know which ships on each cruise line you've tried) would be greatly appreciated!

[awaywego0000]

I have not been on Royal. I plan to some day which is why I am on these boards. We surprised my daughter with a Disney Cruise when she was 8. She just turned 11 and she still talks about it all the time. It was the best vacation my family has ever had. I would love to do it again!!

[Funky Chicken]

We like both. Disney does certain things very well, but at a price. If you have children under 12, especially girls, you need to try DCL.

[jticarruthers]

Sailed Disney Magic and Dream as well as a wide array of RCL (Allure down to Vision).

 

We prefer the Disney experience slightly, not gamblers so no casino is fine, generally happy with MDR and found the rotational dining on Disney to be fine.

 

Felt like Disney service level was a little better but not enough to justify the higher pricing for Disney vs Royal. Generally speaking if we can get a good deal on Disney I would take it but if the prices are far apart which they usually are cant justify a lot more money for a little more service.

 

Our son was 8 on our first DCL and loved the kids club, it is much less structured than RCL but he enjoyed doing the activities he wanted for a change rather than following the RCI script which he got bored with after a couple of cruises.

[anijac1412]

I've cruised both. I'm married and almost 30. I don't have kids but am a big one at heart and pay very close attention to them on my trips. :) You're an RCI alumni so I won't go into details about that one. As for Disney... Here goes!

 

IMO, DCL is simply Special. Yes, it's way more expensive. But if you can afford it, wow, is it ever worth it! I've cruised twice with them. Once on the Wonder back in 2009, and once on the Fantasy for our Honeymoon in 2013.

 

First of all, the service is just outstanding, and unbeatable. You will not walk down a deck for more than 2 minutes without seeing a crew member greet you with a smile. For the kids activities, I've witnessed a bunch of them and they are just so darn attentive and always put the priority on the kids' safety and general happiness. They will even provide you with a pager while your kids are having fun. And there have great bars, night lounges and pool areas that are adult-only, so you can relax child-free.

 

In the dining rooms, there's no beating the service. RCI could never come close, especially these days, or so I hear. They are generally quick and pay very close attention to what you like, especially if you have children. On my first cruise I was seated with another family with children, and the kids could not wait to see the waiters every night. They did fun magic tricks, told jokes, even "played" with their food (made a mickey head out of Ketchup!). Your child is their #1 priority. On my Fantasy cruise, we were seated with two other couples in our age group (I'm sure that wasn't a fluke and was planned!). We had a blast. The waiter knew my husband liked Diet Coke so the glass of Diet Coke was ready every night only 20 seconds after we sat down.

 

They are an extremely well-organized cruiseline. And I guess with so many children on board, they have to be. All the dinners and shows were exactly on time, all the public venues and decks were spotless (in fact, there's a crew member whose main job all day is to wipe handle bars and door knobs.. no joke) You might think this can take out the fun and spontaneity of the trip, but on the contrary, it only adds to it. You don't really notice all these things unless you really stop and pay attention. They are very good at making sure you have good time and feel the magic... Just like Disney World!

 

You will not regret boarding this Line... unless of course you'll miss the casino ;) We are not big gamblers, so this did not bother us.

 

Oh, extra little perk: the pop is FREE (or should I say, included in the cost of your cruise)! There are Soda fountains (with water/hot water also) on the pool deck and in the buffet with unlimited usage. For my husband, who loves his diet coke, this was a blessing.

 

If you have specific questions, let me know. As you can see, I can talk about them forever. :p

[LuCruise]

We went on the Disney Magic when our kids were 6.5 years and 2.5 years. I've been on two RCL cruises (Grandeur and Voyager with DH). We are taking our kids on first RCL cruise next year on Allure (kids will be 10.5 and 6.5) so I can't talk about the newer RCL ship from kids experience, but can talk from research/features of the ships and my personal RCL experience.

 

Disney Pros over RCL

• separated washroom so one can shower while other brushes teeth (etc)
  
• all shows geared to kids
  
• waterslides
  
• Disney characters
  
• Castaway Cay - very kids friendly beach with tons to keep busy
  
• fireworks
  
• drinks included
  

RCL Pros over RCL

• to me, the ship is more elegant and beautiful
  
• Disney pools were super crowded with kids. I was worried of my older one getting pushed under
  
• Separate H20 Splash area for kids
  
• Dreamworks characters wtih easy meet and greets, parades, shows
  
• different shows such as Aqua shows (depends on ship), ice shows
  
• kids club as RCL is age specific meaning you won't have little ones with much older kids
  
• kids club has organized activites
  
• much more for adults to do on RCL (if kids are occupied in the club - we personally were bored on Disney Magic when our kids were at the club, but that's just us as many adults travel on Disney without kids)
  
• much cheaper (comparison of Disney Fantasy to RCL Allure, both Eastern Caribbean, similar cabin types was $2000 difference when we booked...and with the dollar as of today, is $2700 difference!)
  

 

It's been quite a few years since I've travelled RCL and even Disney was 3 years ago. But overall I don't remember any issues with the MDR or service on either ship.

 

There is a similar post on the Disney Forum in CC. This one may be RCL biased and that one may be Disney biased, but will give you some thoughts from both side.

 

You really can't go wrong with either one. (Not sure what RCL ship you were looking at as some are more kid friendly than others)

Edited March 18, 2015 by LuCruise

[jstewie23]

We have done both. Disney Dream and multiple classes of RC ships. Have 2 boys 10 and 7 now. Here are some of my comments.

 

No company will match Disney for customer service, not anywhere in any industry.

Quality of shows on Disney is way above RC.

The kids club on Disney is chaos since all ages groups are basically mixed together, but the decor in the Disney kids club is awesome.

Food was a wash for me. I did like the rotating dining room concept on Disney.

Disney's Castaway Cay is better than Cococay (and any other island in the Bahamas for that matter).

 

We did concierge on both cruise lines and RC isn't even close to Disney with the concierge service.

 

I like the casino which Disney does not have.

 

Both of my boys liked the cruise on Oasis better than Disney.

[Midwestgal]

In my opinion from what I've been told and what I've read Disney is a good size step up from RC. I would put it more along the lines as Celebrity than RC, maybe not as nice but pretty close. Like I've said , I've never been on Disney but know many who have and many are well seasoned cruisers .

 

I think Disney just does a good job all together.

[Lisa8]

The rooms are bigger on DCL and the soft drinks and juices like pineapple juices are included, so if you dont drink alcohol no need for a drink package. Whereas when we cruise with Disney we have the choice to book 4 people in a room if we chose to, because the room size is bigger and the layout is better. The same cant be said about RC because even with 3 people it's tight.

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

Have done both. My thoughts:

 

1. Food pretty comparable between both.

2. Service level on Disney is vastly better than RCCL. The staff is always friendly, well trained and there are tons of them. Disney costs more because they invest in their staff more.

3. On Disney the kids are the stars. The ship is built for kids. There are adult clubs and stuff in the evenings, but they are often pretty empty. Many families put their kids to bed and then sit on their patios in the evening. The ships become pretty dead around 10pm.

4. Disney has no casino. This annoyed me greatly.

5. The swimming pools on Disney are tiny. I have no idea why they designed the pools so small. An endless number of kids want to swim and they have no place to swim. The kids end up bobbing up and down in the pools like corks as they really have no place to move to. It is actually pretty funny to watch.

6. The shows on Disney are outstanding. However, all shows are Disney based. If you are not a Disney fan, this will get old for you. Literally everywhere on the ship is something about Disney. Walking down the halls you will hear Disney show tunes even.

7. Characters walk around frequently on Disney. The kids faces will just light up when they see the characters.

8. At dinner you rotate between several different restaurants each night with the same wait staff. This was pretty cool actually. The dining rooms are designed very impressively, especially the ones that have walls that come alive with animation. Dinners can be loud though. Again, almost every table has young kids at it. Little kids are loud, they cry and they throw tantrums. The entire dinner experience is definitely louder than dining on RCCL.

9. We went to a specialty restaurant on two occasions. Both meals were vastly superior to any speciality restaurant meal I have had on any other cruisie ship including RCCL or Celebrity.

10. Final thoughts: Ages 4-8 are magical ages and Disney is perfect for kids in that age group. I would encourage you to sail Disney and give them a try. I have never spoken to a person who had a bad cruise on Disney.

Edited March 18, 2015 by WhenIsLobsterNight

[Natmom]

I haven't sailed both, only the disney Dream and the disney fantasy. Both cruises were phenomenal. We still dream about those vacations! My husband and I are trying the oasis in May and I'm already preparing myself that it won't be near as good as dcl but I can always hope!

[Carolla5501]

I haven't sailed both, only the disney Dream and the disney fantasy. Both cruises were phenomenal. We still dream about those vacations! My husband and I are trying the oasis in May and I'm already preparing myself that it won't be near as good as dcl but I can always hope!

 

 

Your experience does not mirror mine. I referred to the dream as the nightmare. Service was bad, food was only so-so and the adult areas are very poorly designed IMHO. I wondered why I was paying twice as much for a subpar experience

 

 

And of I had been with kids they would not have been allowed in that dangerously overcrowded pool. I used to run a waterfront program and was shocked at that overcrowded pool. And this was early Feb.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Carolla5501

[rstout]

We did a back to back on the Disney Dream, and have sailed on the RCCL Majesty, Jewel, Freedom, Navigator, Adventure and Allure. Your 6 yo is the perfect age to try Disney. Our boys loved the Dream. We are not crazy Disney people, but we thought the shows were great and we loved the rotational dining. The service was wonderful and we were surprised how much our boys liked the characters around the ship.. I would go with the Fantasy - they have a 7 day cruise and it has the most to do. The pools are small, yes, but we tended to go early and found plenty of things to do if they got too crowded for us in the afternoon.

[Big_G]

I'd try it. We're just waiting for the grand kids to get a little older so they can appreciate it. At D+ you must have experienced pretty much everything Royal has to offer.

[dogsambam]

Having been on many ROyal and 2 Disney, they do have their differences, but both are great. Disney service can't be beat except maybe at a Four Seasons. while Royal food in main dining room etc is not the best, we have experienced way more great meals on Royal. There were nights on Disney where I could not find anything to eat.

 

Rooms are great on Disney, but we are always able to get two adjoining cabins on Royal Caribbean for the same price as 1 on Disney.

 

The pools are a nightmare with little kids on Disney. Crowded, crowded, crowded, and even with the life guards, they still are over crowded and the life guards just seem to stand around.

 

The characters and shows are amazing always on Disney. Royal really can't compare in that area.

 

Kids club are just different. Kids seemed to love Disneys, but we are going on the Oasis next week, and we hope they still love the Royal ones, and don't compare. Biggest advantage on Disney is they let older and younger ones stay together if they want to. On Royal they are separated by age.

 

Both lines ships are amazing, but Royal may do much better in the aesthetic and thing to do category.

 

We have Oasis and Disney booked for this Spring Break, and my wife is the one who decided she wanted to go back to Royal. The price difference, while not tremendous, was also a bonus. You cannot go,wrong either was.

[ragen]

You can now Book Disney and bring you're own alcohol allowed onboard, and mix you're drinks with the free soda thay offer,...for cheeper than a similar RCI cruise with two (or possably even one) Drink package at 40-60 bucks a day per person.

 

just say'in,.....:eek:

[LuCruise]

You can now Book Disney and bring you're own alcohol allowed onboard, and mix you're drinks with the free soda thay offer,...for cheeper than a similar RCI cruise with two (or possably even one) Drink package at 40-60 bucks a day per person.

 

just say'in,.....:eek:

 

Either way, Disney is much more. With today's US to Canadian dollar value, we would be paying $2700 more for a similar cruise on Disney. That would still be much more than $40-60 per person per day. (Maybe the difference isn't as significant if you're in the US and thus, don't need to convert to CAD).

 

They are different cruises though and I can see why those with kids would pick Disney...at least once while kids are young.

Edited March 19, 2015 by LuCruise

[lawyerboy5555]

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts - I truly appreciate it!