A Princess Cruiser takes a Disney Cruise

[canusa]

We have done Disney Cruise Line in the past with our kids and as a couple and we loved it. We then tried RCCL and Princess and found that Princess was a good fit for us compared to DCL. If I had the chance I would definitely cruise Disney again.

Thanks for the review.

[karl_nj]

2 questions - was disembarkment different? I have heard (awhile ago) it is like walking out of a hotel.

 

I really enjoy disembarkation on Disney (as much as one can enjoy disembarkation), but I think it only works out if you do it like they "want" you to.

 

On disembarkation morning there are two seating's for breakfast in the MDR, early and late. They correspond to your seating at dinner. You go to the same restaurant/table, and you get to see your evening waitstaff one last time. You take all your hand luggage with you and vacate your cabin.

 

(note that this is only for disembarkation morning. the rest of the cruise there is open seating for breakfast in the MDR, like all cruise lines these days.)

 

When you finish your breakfast, you take your hand luggage and just walk off the ship. There is either no line at all, or a very short and quickly moving line. It's quite different compared to some other ships/terminals I've been on, where I've ended up sitting in a lounge before I could leave (occasionally for a very long time).

 

There is no announcing of luggage tag colors or numbers; they prioritize the luggage of the early diners first.

 

This works quite well if you like to go to the MDR for breakfast on disembarkation morning (we do), and you are OK with the assigned time for this meal.

 

I'm not sure how well it would work if you have late dining, and go to the buffet instead, and try to get off the ship early. Either they won't let you off the ship, or your luggage won't be available in the terminal.

 

I believe self-assist disembarkation is available too, but I don't think it's as popular since small children are not good at helping carry luggage.

[karl_nj]

I have always wanted to try one as we are huge Disney fans, but the costs are just too high! Also we are in our 60's and I think the amount of kids would be unnerving. Thanks for your review. (Off to Disney and Universal in February)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Because of all the kids, Disney does actually quite a good job at creating adult only areas, and actually enforcing it. At least compared to other lines.

 

Off-season Disney can be somewhat more reasonable, when kids are supposed to be in school.

[sunsetbeachgal]

There are some lower rates on repositioning cruises which I'm keeping my eye on. Probably less kids on those as well! Lol!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dahuffy]

Thanks for the post. I am in the opposite camp - only cruised Disney and going to try Princess. The more I read about Princess, the more I think I will like it more than Disney. I do consider myself to be a major Disney fan, but I get really tired of the music and all the shows being a Disney theme. And, it is very difficult to find good, healthy food when I am hungry.

 

Ditto! Have cruised Disney 3 times and only Disney. Have made a lot of very special friends, that we now consider family by cruising with Disney. But like the OP we've found that Disney has priced themselves out for us, so we are going to give Princess a shot. :)

[dahuffy]

I have always wanted to try one as we are huge Disney fans, but the costs are just too high! Also we are in our 60's and I think the amount of kids would be unnerving. Thanks for your review. (Off to Disney and Universal in February)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Hubby and I are both in our late 50's, with no children. We have only sailed Disney. Never really found the kids to be a problem as they were usually busy in the kids clubs. Ready to try something different now, so we have our first Princess cruise planned for this Dec. Celebrating my 60th birthday. :)

[sloopsailor]

Just a note to the OP.

 

I wanted to read this but the pics are so gigantic that I have to scroll left and right in order to be able to read the posts. I gave up on posts of that sort quite a while back.

 

They fit perfectly on my desktop monitor using Google Chrome as my browser. I hate photos that are too small to see details, so the larger the better. These are just about the perfect size. Maybe it isn't that they are too big, but that your screen is too small?

Edited January 21, 2017 by sloopsailor

[floridalover5623]

It's easy to send pics to photobucket or a site of that sort then resize them so they aren't huge but still easy to view. Like you, I don't like the thumbnails that are posted as they are so tiny I can't tell what they are supposed to be showing me. A menu that I can't read even with a large magnifying glass is pointless but there is no reason to post gigantic pics either.

 

To large for me also. Using Chrome.

[easyboy]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[helenb]

We have sailed a number of times on Disney and are Elite on Princess. I agree with what the OP posted regarding the differences between the 2 lines. I would add that the Palo experience (both the brunch and the dinner) blows Sabbatini's out of the water. And if you go to Remy, it is a true gourmet experience, like a Michelin star restaurant on land. The only thing that might compare on Princess is the Chef's Table.

 

Honestly, the Disney cruises are the nicest cruises we have ever taken. They have the largest and nicest staterooms (all but a few insides have the split bathrooms, and the insides have 'magic portholes' which simulate windows and are awesome), they have top notch entertainment, and the dining experience is fantastic. If you have kids who can take advantage of the children's programs, that only adds to the fun. Castaway Cay is so much nicer than Princess' private island that there is no comparison. We would ONLY cruise Disney except for 2 things.

 

The first thing keeping us from sailing Disney so much is price. As the OP (and others) mentioned, DCL is usually double the price of Princess, Celebrity, RCCL, etc for a similar number of days in a similar cabin. So although the Disney experience is nicer, it's not *that* much nicer. Generally, we'd rather cruise Princess for 14 days than Disney for 7.

 

The other thing is the limited itineraries. Disney is getting better, but Princess still whips them hands down in their itineraries. You can always find someplace new to cruise on Princess. With Disney, it's the same ports over and over again, year after year. And their 2 biggest ships are stuck in the Caribbean for the foreseeable future, thanks to a contract they made with Port Canaveral.

 

And then there is the intersection of these 2 issues. Disney costs so much that we don't actually want to take them on a port-intensive cruise. If we're going to be off the ship all day every day in port (such as in Europe) then we don't want to be paying double for that shipboard experience we're not using.

 

So when it comes down to it, we sail Disney when we feel like going on a cruise with a lot of sea days, and when prices are low/discounted. For example, a Panama Canal cruise or a repositioning cruise to/from Europe would be perfect. Even a Caribbean cruise for those who can easily get to the port and have seen those islands a lot. You get much better prices if you sail during traditional school times, when a lot of families can not take a vacation.

 

Oh and one other thing: there are 2 reasons everyone wears lanyards on DCL. First, you never need to slide your card. You only tap it to sensors. This means that you can wear the card in a plastic sleeve and never need to take it out, making a lanyard much more practical. The second reason is that all past passengers get a lanyard for free, color coded to their status in the past passenger program. So starting on your second cruise, you get a free lanyard. When people get them for free upon boarding, they're more likely to use them. And since these lanyards have plastic sleeves for the cards, you don't even need to go to Guest Services to get them punched.

[MWcruiser]

Very good review. Love your comparisons to Princess. Hoping to do Disney cruise with our grandchild in a few years. Sounds like we better start saving now!

[Go-Bucks!]

Glad to read your review. I don't think this cruiseline would be a good match for me and it's so pricey. If I'm going to pay alot more than the main stream cruiselines charge then I'm going to try Regent, Oceania, Viking and Crystal.

[Tapi]

We will be taking our first Disney cruise over Thanksgiving. We are not Disney fans but we are big believers in trying as many different cruise lines as possible. With kids aged 5 and 7, we feel that the time to try a Disney cruise is now.

 

With that said, we will be paying SEVEN times more for our upcoming Disney cruise than what we paid for our last Princess cruise. We considered that cruise one of our best ever, so Disney has some BIG shoes to fill, specially at that (still hard to swallow) pricing.

 

A lot of people that we've spoken to (including our TA) have said that once you take a Disney cruise, it's hard to sail on anybody else. For the sake of my pocket I hope that's not the case, but I'm still hoping for a superior cruise experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited January 22, 2017 by Tapi

[hathaway42]

Having sailed Disney many years ago I will say they had the best cabins for a young family . We had a 5 and 8 year old at the time. At the time we had to line up for everything we did. We never returned to DCL. We sail Princess or celebrity for the ports they call on.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited January 22, 2017 by hathaway42

[helenb]

Having sailed Disney many years ago I will say they had the best cabins for a young family . We had a 5 and 8 year old at the time. At the time we had to line up for everything we did. We never returned to DCL. We sail Princess or celebrity for the ports they call on.

rid=76452]Forums[/url]

 

When you say that you had to line up, do you mean for the meet & greets or character events? DCL has really improved that by ticketing them now. So you always know exactly when to arrive, and they make it a point to have everyone see the characters at *exactly* the time on their ticket. So no one arrives early and there are minimal lines.

[goofy559]

We will be taking our first Disney cruise over Thanksgiving. We are not Disney fans but we are big believers in trying as many different cruise lines as possible. With kids aged 5 and 7, we feel that the time to try a Disney cruise is now.

 

With that said, we will be paying SEVEN times more for our upcoming Disney cruise than what we paid for our last Princess cruise. We considered that cruise one of our best ever, so Disney has some BIG shoes to fill, specially at that (still hard to swallow) pricing.

 

A lot of people that we've spoken to (including our TA) have said that once you take a Disney cruise, it's hard to sail on anybody else. For the sake of my pocket I hope that's not the case, but I'm still hoping for a superior cruise experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Before their prices went out of control I sailed Disney a bunch. Interspersed were some princess cruises. Disney is amazing, especially with kids your ages, but once my daughter hit about 9 she much preferred princess. They to a great cruise is not to compare. I love the adult areas and specialty dining in the 2 newest Disney ships. That being said I can't see myself sailing them again any time soon. So go, enjoy your Disney cruise, but know that yiu will be able to come back to princess

[Rinderoo]

Been on 12 DCLs, and many Princess.

For me, Disney excels with entertainment: You are entertained from the time you get on the ship until they time you leave.

Food on the other hand is better on every other line I've sailed, except for Royal.

 

OP, you mentioned no Cabanas at Castaway Cay when you signed in to book your prearranged activities. Those were probably gone at 120 days for Platinum DCL loyalty, and suites/concierge. It is pretty rare that they're available for first time guests at 75 days.

 

I still LOVE the Disney Cruise, but don't love paying for it! Therefore we do other lines. My kids abhorred all teen programming on any cruise ship so once they aged out of the younger kids clubs I no longer needed "The Disney Difference." Thankfully the pricing on DCL went up right about the time they were 14 which made my decision easier. Now when I sail DCL it is usually with another huge Disney fan who pays their half. Makes it a whole lot easier. lol

[chamima]

We will be taking our first Disney cruise over Thanksgiving. We are not Disney fans but we are big believers in trying as many different cruise lines as possible. With kids aged 5 and 7, we feel that the time to try a Disney cruise is now.

 

With that said, we will be paying SEVEN times more for our upcoming Disney cruise than what we paid for our last Princess cruise. We considered that cruise one of our best ever, so Disney has some BIG shoes to fill, specially at that (still hard to swallow) pricing.

 

A lot of people that we've spoken to (including our TA) have said that once you take a Disney cruise, it's hard to sail on anybody else. For the sake of my pocket I hope that's not the case, but I'm still hoping for a superior cruise experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

We are taking our children and grandchildren on a Disney cruise next New Years.

Ours is only three times the price of Princess or Celebrity. :eek:

We're doing Disney for all of the reasons everyone has said and one more - we have 3 grandchildren with Celiac disease. My dughter has done extensive research and has found that Disney is the most careful with food allergies. Taking a child on a trip where they are ill for half of it (and they DO get sick from even cross-contamination ) is not something we consider.

 

That said - because of the price this will most likely be a once and done cruise. :o

[fishfire]

Thank you so much for this review. I have a friend that has only cruised RCCL, I have cruised Carnival and am Platinum on Princess. She wants me to do a DCL with her. Maybe I will after reading your review.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[tammymacb]

I'm taking my first Princess cruise this August. I'm platinum on DCL (mostly CL). Our kids are grown but DH and I still love DCL. (Not the characters but the service and experience).

 

One thing I'll mention is though I've sailed CL on multiple DCL cruises (and they can be silly expensive) it doesn't appear to be as appealing to sail with CL. There seem to be fewer perks (including shoreside and a lounge).

 

I'm really looking forward to my Princess cruise though.

[superlou]

Just a note to the OP.

 

I wanted to read this but the pics are so gigantic that I have to scroll left and right in order to be able to read the posts. I gave up on posts of that sort quite a while back.

 

Same problem for me. I'm using Firefox. I scrolled right at the top of the thread, clicked on "Thread Tools" and selected "Show Printable Version." Then I could read it, adjusting the font size to my liking. The photos become links that you can open separately. Hope that helps!

[jovisoul]

Thank you so much for your review! We are going on our first Disney Cruise on the Wonder on 2/2.

 

We have only sailed On Princess (8 so far). I am a huge Disney fan and have wanted to try DCL. We don't have kids and were a little hesitant to try DCL. But, from what I've read, it will be good!

[moki'smommy]

I was rather the opposite--did 30 cruises while my daughter was younger. Now that she is an adult we have cruised Princess 3 times. I posted a lengthy comparison on the DCL site about a year ago.

 

But point of posting is that I can answer the disembarkation question. Not sure what you mean by "like a hotel," but in most ports you do not have to go to a particular lounge or have a particular time to disembark. You must be off the ship by 9:00. If you put your luggage out the night before, it is in color coded groups (based on the tags you received and then in numerical order). You eat breakfast and leave the ship at your convenience. Your luggage is waiting for you in the terminal. The only exception to this is a few small ports that can't handle the DCL system. It is a much nicer system than we encountered on Princess, particularly in Japan where the Princess system was running late and we had a car waiting!

 

Obviously on both lines you claim luggage and then go thru US Customs where the lines can be minimal or way too long. We did suggest to Princess that they needed separate lines for US and non-US passports (DCL does this). We were on a cruise out of Houston on Princess with a large Korean group. We waited an hour in line for Customs despite a lot of desks operating. It would have been much quicker had they separated the passport groups as the US citizens were getting very little scrutiny.

 

Castaway Cay is nicer than any other private island we have experienced.

 

I essentially agree with the review other than I give a slight nod to the Princess food in the main dining rooms (but DCL has better atmosphere an entertainment in the dining venues). BUT...we had booked a British Isles cruise on DCL. The reason we tried Princess initially was that I could get a balcony cabin on Princess for half the cost of an inside on DCL. A balcony on DCL was four times the cost of a Princess balcony for essentially the same ports...so I canceled the DCL reservations! There are many things I really like about DCL, but I have a hard time justifying the cost. I have no need to subsidize their very elaborate and costly kid program.

[sammiedawg]

This was a very nice review that I enjoyed reading.

We have one Fantasy cruise under our belts, haven't done the smaller Disney ships. We were disappointed in the bland Disney food and felt Princess dining shines in comparison. The Fantasy had a bazillion third and fourth passengers on board. Standard double occupancy is 2500 passengers, we had just under 4000 people on our sailing. The dining rooms were very crowded, it was difficult to navigate between the tables once people were seated and their chairs were pulled out. Servers had too many tables compared to Princess. The noise level in Disney dining rooms was off the chart. The noise level at the main pool area was obnoxious, the movie screen blared at a decibel level I cannot describe. Princess MUTS will be a real pleasure by comparison.

Family members loved Palo.

Disney entertainment was wonderful and the ship was immaculate and in pristine condition. We very much enjoyed Castaway Cay, the nicest private island.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you; that was interesting to hear as fellow DINKS.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums