Just back from Disney Dream. Did I miss something?

[jll583]

We went on the Dream two years ago, and I agree, didn't measure up to RC. And I haven't been on a RC ship in 10 years! We took our two daughters (7 and 2 at the time). They loved it, but they didn't have anything to compare it to as it was their first cruise. We booked late (like 6 weeks before the cruise) and were left with the late dining time. My two year old slept on the table two of the three nights. The price was honestly outrageous for a three night cruise (could have been due to booking so late, but comparing prices now, it looks like thats the norm) My husband and I are going on Oasis in August and we are paying significantly less for a seven day cruise than we spent for the four of us for 3 nights. I will say my kids loved it, loved meeting all the characters, but honestly, they'd probably love RC for the Dreamworks characters. I will say that Castaway Cay was very nice but Coco Cay is nice too. Maybe not as kid friendly, but to me just about the same. I'd probably do any cruise line over doing Disney again. It was something I feel I only needed to experience once.

[big al]

Just got back from a 3-day cruise on Disney Dream with my family of 4. I wasn't very impressed and by day 2, I was already starting to note all the differences between DCL and RCCL; and in my opinion RCCL came out ahead in most areas including the Kids Club/Adventure Ocean.

 

Truth be told, I am not a huge fan of the Walt Disney Company in general, but I honestly had an open mind after hearing people rave about service and the "Disney Experience". Not saying I had a bad time because -- Cruising. But I left not caring if I sailed with them ever again and really looking forward to my Feb 2018 Liberty cruise. Even my wife, who LOVES Disney felt the same.

 

Loooking for others' opinions on DCL vs RCCL and wondering if I missed something or just had a random chance "off-day" for that cruise?

 

 

You need an MRI IMO..The Disney Dream is the # 1 rated ship in the world...I thought she was fantastic- best cabins ( didn't you LOVE the 2 bathrooms??- super!), best shows ( by far), best MDR food, best service, best private island ( REALLY by far!) , best 4 days ever at sea..BTW, I went on the Liberty also one year earlier and LOVED it- but she was NO match for the Dream..Palo's Brunch ALONE was worth the cruise, along with Castaway Cay, all the Disney nightime shows, fireworks, fried coconut shrimp at the buffet ( are you kidding?)..simply amazing IMO..what didn't you like? AND we have NO kids & are in our 60's...:cool:

 

Big Al

[fletch1027]

In full disclosure, our family is huge Disney fans. We own Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and our vacations while the kids were growing up were usually down there. On the flip side, we have cruised nothing but RCI.

 

A few years ago, our oldest son married a girl and her family is also huge Disney people and they also own DVC, however they have cruised many times with Disney in the past & present.

 

Within the last 2 years, our son and DIL have gone on 2 cruises. Once on Freedom for their 1 year anniversary, and a year or so later on Disney with her extended family. For comparison, both cruises were 7 days, and they had an inside cabin on DCL and an Inside Promenade on Freedom. The Disney ship was one of the older two (without the water coaster), and here's a summary of his take:

 

• Disney is better if you have little kids
  
• Not as much fun for adult couples (coming from a couple that are barely adults) :D
  
• The food was slightly better on Disney
  
• They had a great time on both, however there is no way in his opinion that the extra cost of the DCL cruise was worth it
  

As DVC owners, we have the option of using our DVC points towards a cruise, but it is totally not worth it. For comparison, look at any of my trip reports linked in my signature below. We always spend a night at Disney before driving to the port, and stay in pretty cool rooms with great views and amenities. For the points we would have to use for a four night cruise on one of the older ships, we could stay in a nice resort on property for 10-14 nights. That's totally not worth it!

 

 

Anyway, we will likely continue our split brained mentality of RCI for cruising and Disney for land... :cool:

[tahqa]

I have never been on DCL, but I have to wonder is making a comparison of a 3 day cruise like comparing Majesty to Harmony?

 

Well, what's the price point? My wife and I did the Disney Dream and the Harmony last year and a three night Dream was more expensive than a seven night Harmony with Voom and beverage package.

 

The Dream was nice, but was it worth the extra cost? Let's see...

 

Cabin -- The Dream verandah cabin was nicer than our D8 on Harmony. But on Dream the shower was too short for me (by about 4 inches and I'm 'only' 6'4") so I prefer the shower on Harmony.

 

Food -- We didn't have a bad meal on either ship but Wonderland, to us, is the best experience we've ever had for cruise ship dining. MDR experience for both was comparable.

 

 

Shows -- Shows on both are excellent. But I prefer the variety of shows on Harmony over Dream.

 

Adult areas -- Much better on Harmony. The bars on Dream had some amazing theming, but were for the most part very small. Also, the Solarium wins out over the Cove on the Dream.

 

Pools -- More pools and actually less crowded on Harmony.

 

Crowds -- Much better on Harmony. The Dream is a Voyager sized ship with Freedom sized passenger capacity.

 

My wife is a Disney CM and lives, breathes, and sleeps Disney and even she was of the opinion that the extra cost for Disney isn't worth it. So we're in the we'll do Disney every five years mindset.

 

Now... would I compare Majesty to Dream? Absolutely not. In terms of the ship build and amenities the Majesty if way outclassed by the Dream. But there's about 15 years between those two ships and Dream typically runs about 3x the cost of Majesty.

[Lita74]

We are big Disney fans (APs, DVC, my 6 year old has been to a Disney park 12 times etc), but we have not gone on a Disney cruise and I don't think we will. The ships just don't excite me in the same ways the parks do. I think it's because they don't have as much change/variety and they are so expensive that I just feel that the bar has to be really high with no room for error for me to get the value out of it.

 

On our last RCI cruise - the paragraph above describes everything about our dining experience. Andre our assistance waiter was amazing - and he handled everything for my kids. As soon as he saw us enter the dining room he went to get their fruit cups and salads so they were on the table instantly - and he always cut up their chicken and teased that they had to eat it if they wanted him to bring their desert. I had the best vacation because of Andre and the AO staff!!

 

 

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I just sailed the Oasis this past February and we were very underwhelmed by the service, food, quality of furnishings and etc. We did not experience the above with our serving team on RCL like we did on DCL. The cuts of meat offered in the MDR were cheap unless you paid extra. On DCL you can get filet mignon in the MDR with no up charge. DCL has more seafood options in both the MDRs and in the buffet. We found the menu options in the MDR on RCL to be very boring. The beds were more comfortable on DCL in a regular room vs our Jr Suite bed on RCL. DCL just looks like a better finished product with the quality trim-work on the ship, decor and furnishings. My 7 year-old was in tears when we went to the Adventure Ocean because it looked like school and not vacation. She opened up to it, but both she and my 9 year-old prefer DCL's clubs. We like that you can communicate with your traveling party easier on DCL in real-time. I know people like leaving messages and sticky notes, but we don't. To each their own, but we gave RCL a try and we know what we like and prefer and it is DCL.

[KGSB11]

You need an MRI IMO..The Disney Dream is the # 1 rated ship in the world...I thought she was fantastic- best cabins ( didn't you LOVE the 2 bathrooms??- super!), best shows ( by far), best MDR food, best service, best private island ( REALLY by far!) , best 4 days ever at sea..BTW, I went on the Liberty also one year earlier and LOVED it- but she was NO match for the Dream..Palo's Brunch ALONE was worth the cruise, along with Castaway Cay, all the Disney nightime shows, fireworks, fried coconut shrimp at the buffet ( are you kidding?)..simply amazing IMO..what didn't you like? AND we have NO kids & are in our 60's...:cool:

 

Big Al

 

An MRI? haha

 

Because it was the #1 rated ship is is why I am so confused. I really didn't want to make a list of negatives because I still had a great time, so I'll try to keep it simple and not a rant.

 

 

- Cabins -- our Ocean View cabin had only 1 bathroom; it was accessible, so I'm sure that is the reason. The room also had an automatic door which proved to make my DD(1) a flight risk where she would push the button and then end up running down the hall...this was funny the first 30 times she did it, then we had to start blocking the door with various items.:')

 

- Shows -- Only went to the Pirate show..although it seemed like most revolved around the movie theater to watch "In Theater" movies. Which is not why we vacation -- DD(4) did enjoy the movies by the pool, but there was little interest in the theater.

 

- Food -- MDR was okay, found the food to be a bit bland and more limited. Buffett was good -- I did enjoy crab & shrimp each day for lunch

- Service -- Didn't make any impressions. Overall I found some of the staff to be short and non-approachable at times; with the exception of our room steward Yerilee; he was great! Wife was very sternly corrected at the buffet for describing to DD(4) the purpose of the sanitizing wipes was to wash hands before eating (which she was then given a curt rundown of the important differences between washing and sanitizing -- okay, you describe to a 4 year old the nuances between the two)

The first nights dinner, my youngest daughter (23mos) made a mess of some food and when we asked for more napkins we were shouted at "No!, but I can get you some towels" -- I don't care what they are, I just wanted something to clean up.

 

 

The biggest disappointment for me was the complete separation of the Adult areas in that once my kids passed out at 9:30/10:00 there wasn't much for us to do because all the lounges were "Adults Only". Many a time on RCCL, we could enjoy live music at The Schooner Bar, Boleros, or the Champagne Bar whilst the kiddos were passed out in the stroller. But this was not allowed on Disney.

[KGSB11]

I have never been on DCL, but I have to wonder is making a comparison of a 3 day cruise like comparing Majesty to Harmony?

It is very possible that it is not a fair comparison, and that is what I am trying to find out; I am comparing this 3-day DCL to a 5-day on Liberty.

[Cel_cruise]

Amazing we have gotten this far an no one has mentioned the C word...casino!!!

 

 

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[KGSB11]

...still lines for everything (we had hoped it would be like Disney World but without the lines - nope, every time Mickey appeared, within seconds there were 200 kids waiting to see him!).

 

Disney heavily pushes their "adult only" areas, every dining venue that is adult only costs good money.

 

While on land I feel Disney customer service is second to none,

 

Yes the lines! My daughter started crying not 5min after we boarded (12:15pm) because Rapunzel was in the lobby greeting people but they closed the line before we got there. Because of the the 3-day we spent most time on the ship. Stayed on at Nassau (as did many many others) and spent the morning at Castaway Cay and came back at 1pm for lunch in the buffet -- this was the best time on the ship. There were about 10 people on the pool deck and the AquaDuck line was 5 min.

 

The Adults Only areas is what I had a problem with, so when my kids passed out at 9:30-ish, we had to go back to the room since strollers (i.e. sleeping kids) weren't allowed in any lounge. They don't have in-room babysitting like RCCL (not that I ever used it because RCCL doesn't mind kids in the lounges).

 

I was a fan of the Disney service at WDW and WDW restaurants (despite not caring for the company as a whole) and that was what I expected on-board. Sadly, they fell short.

[Wisteria101958]

DCL was my introduction to cruising the year they joined the market. I have sailed the Magic and the Wonder six times, 2- 3 nighters, 2- 4 nighters and 2- 7 nights. Loved absolutely everything. That being said, I think Celebrity's service is on par. I have sailed 20 times more since our Disney experiences with NCL, RCCL, Carnival and most often Celebrity. I have never had a bad experience. A little nuance here or there that wasn't fabulous. But nothing that moved me to complain. Would I sail Disney, again? Would love, too. I just can't justify the cost with so many other great options available.

 

Dawn

[Kikkib]

Wow! I feel so much better now about not liking our Disney Dream cruise. We took are 6 and 8 year olds. Pools were dangerously overcrowded. Kids couldn't swim more like bob in place and they kept closing them to drain and sanitize due to poop in the pool. Lines for tube ride were crazy long. They forgot my Dtrs dinner two nights in a row and I was served ice cold mashed potatoes. Way too many kids. At a show the last night a little girl seated behind my husband kept whacking him in the head with her fairy wand, every time he turned around she would wave and say hi. The look he gave me was priceless :'). We both agreed, never again.

[euphscott]

I'll echo others that are Disney appreciators...Their product really is fabulous - overpriced but fabulous.

 

What I would add is that you took a 3 day cruise - all lines have their lesser crews running the shorter itineraries and it takes a little longer to really get into a groove. At least in my experience, the longer the cruise, the better the experience.

 

At least now you have your experience first hand and can decide upon further voyages based on first hand knowledge.

[CanadaCathi]

Just another person here who cruised Disney, then became a Royal fanatic after the first Freedom cruise. Even my 8-year old likes Royal more. For me it was price, room size, kid's club, food. Some of the food was a little better on Magic, but not enough. The service wasn't better, for the most part. And we waited for everrryyyything we did. And Disney people are (generalization here, watch out), a little crazy. Let's say, 'overzealous', about all things Disney. Too much mouse for me, I'll take the big green ogre any day.

 

 

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[chape19714]

I will say I had 7 amazing cruises on Disney, and 1 OK cruise. I am a huge Disney fan. The service was superb, and good entertainment, but I have come to realize that Disney just isn't simply for my demographic (A single cruiser in his 20s, that travels with a group of friends). So, tried Royal and haven't looked back. I would recommend DCL if you hit the criteria, but it's not for everyone. We joke here in Orlando that Royal is like Universal at Sea and Disney is...Disney. They have similar target markets and entertainment styles

[dpcmh]

OP, I'm wondering if you have been on a 3 night RCI cruise? If so, I would like to hear that comparison.

 

I haven't read every post yet, but a few post in made me wonder this question. To me, that would be an apples to apples comparison.

 

I have done 2 B2Bs on the Dream, and the 3 night vs the 4 night are completely different...and for a lot of reasons.

 

I'm not a fan of the 3 nights.....but put up with it for 2 stops at Castaway Cay. If my first DCL cruise was a 3 night Dream, I never would have gone again. We are gold on DCL, but price has driven me away....I concur with many of the comments made on these boards about that aspect of DCL.

[NewSalt]

I'll just be totally honest here: I wouldn't go on another Disney cruise if you paid me:

 

1) They treated my disabled mother terribly. This alone makes me hate them.

 

2) We didn't book a year in advance, therefore we had late dining. Tell me, what 3 year old eats dinner at 8:30pm? Why is that even an option on a DISNEY cruise? I get it, they cannot accommodate everyone at the same time. Fine. BUT....for all us losers that booked late, the buffet turned into this cheesy sit-down restaurant with very few options. It was horrible. So basically, we were forced to skip dinner.

 

3) I love kids, even those that are not mine...but truth be told, there's way too many on Disney. Obviously. It's bad enough I have to go to D-land/D-world every year for my son's benefit. However, I'm on vacation, too. I want some kind of break from all the little rugrats.

 

4) It's way cheesy how they announce the family names. Do they still do that? Gimme a break.

 

5) The character dance parties are great, but again...God help your pre-schooler from the other kids knocking them over. It was every man/kid himself at those "parties".

 

6) Service was horrible.

 

7) They treated my mom horribly. Yes, I mentioned this. This is personal...but she had a terminal illness, had to bring on board with her an O2 concentrator, had trouble with mobility, had a lot of meds, weighed about 90 pounds, etc..The bad treatment began the first day: I had to INSIST on disability boarding. I should not have had to do that. Believe me, it was obvious she needed it. It just got worse from there. Anyway, it has stuck with me these past few years. I'll never go back on their ships. I loved her so much. It kills me they treated her that way.

 

8) Plus they are crazy expensive. Total rip-off.

 

Ok, I'm done with my rant. Feels good to get that out!

 

Happy for everyone that loves them. Seriously. To each his own!:)

 

 

 

 

 

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[NewSalt]

Sorry. First time using the new app, and I obviously am far from mastering it.

 

Shellster, I'm so sorry you experienced such poor treatment at such a difficult time. I would have been beyond furious, but it seems that your DM was able to focus on the positives of sailing with a beloved grandchild.

 

From our experience, Disney is great at what they do every day, but there's some corporate mindset that prevents them from handing less ordinary situations with even normal compassion and kindness.

 

Three years ago, we visited WDW with our DGSs, 3 years and 4 months, respectively. DGS3 has several severe food allergies, which we noted on our reservations, every time we made a dining reservation, when we checked into each restaurant, and repeated again to our server. Despite this, he was served a food containing one of his allergens. He began to go into anaphylaxis, and had to be given his EpiPen and transported by ambulance to the hospital. Because the baby could not be secured in the ambulance, DD, her infant, DH, and I had to wait for alternate transportation while DSIL accompanied DGS to the hospital. They escorted us outside to wait for a car to take us to the hospital IMO because they did not want other customers to witness our obvious distress. (Gotta keep the magic going.). Outside, for 30+ minutes in 95+ heat, next to the dumpsters of a seafood restaurant. Once at the hospital, we were on our own to get back to the hotel (since we were staying on-site, we hadn't rented a car) and getting the prescriptions for the meds he needed after the incident.

 

Afterward, no one from Disney contacted us to see if DGS was all right or if we needed any assistance. When we asked at our hotel for contact information, they refused to give us anything except the generic WDW email address.

 

Considering that their carelessness had almost cost DGS his life, I found their behavior unbelievable.

 

We've sailed twice on Celebrity and three times on RCI with DGS. They both have far exceeded our expectations on accommodating allergies, and they've done so with so much kindness that I've been brought to tears more than once. I once priced a DL cruise that most closely matched the RCI one we had planned, just as a matter of curiosity since I don't plan to give them another shot at harming DGS, especially hundreds of miles from land and a hospital. Our $8,000 cruise would have been $18,000 on Disney. No thanks.

 

 

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[KGSB11]

OP, I'm wondering if you have been on a 3 night RCI cruise? If so, I would like to hear that comparison.

 

I haven't read every post yet, but a few post in made me wonder this question. To me, that would be an apples to apples comparison.

 

I have done 2 B2Bs on the Dream, and the 3 night vs the 4 night are completely different...and for a lot of reasons.

 

I'm not a fan of the 3 nights.....but put up with it for 2 stops at Castaway Cay. If my first DCL cruise was a 3 night Dream, I never would have gone again. We are gold on DCL, but price has driven me away....I concur with many of the comments made on these boards about that aspect of DCL.

 

Up until the Disney, the shortest cruise I had been on was a 5-Day on Liberty back in 2014. So I am comparing a 3-day Disney with a 5-Day Liberty.

 

I'll admit that 3 days is just a teaser cruise, but I would have expected more from the price. Especially considering that many people may use it to "Try Out" Disney to see if it is as good as WDW. We spent one day at Magic Kingdom in 2015 with our girls (ages 3 and 6mos then) and the service we got out of two meals at the park was phenomenal despite my feelings toward the company; even the new trainee at one of the park restaurants was awesome -- I would think that they [Disney] would be pros at great service with very little rapport.

[Kmangel]

I went on a Disney cruise after having broken my foot and I had a very positive experience. I had no trouble getting anywhere on board the ship. It was very user friendly for a handicapped person. I had a motorized scooter. Most of the time an employee was there to assist me at the doorways, but even if I was on my own, I managed very easily. I don't think all ships are as well equipped for handicapped people.

 

As far as service goes during dining, that also was very good. I was escorted to tables where I could easily transfer from my scooter to my chair and then my scooter was parked out of the way until I needed it back again.

 

I even was able to secure a handicapped stateroom after breaking my foot. That made my being able to enjoy the cruise more fully. I was able to easily motor out onto the veranda. It would have been much less enjoyable for me in a regular cabin. I wouldn't have been able to negotiate the veranda without my scooter. I was lucky there were handicapped staterooms still available as I broke my foot three weeks before sailing.

 

The only thing I disliked was the Disney theme for absolutely everything. No escaping it. So from that perspective I was not so happy. I could have put up with it being nearly all Disney themed if there was some non Disney themed entertainment (comedy, music) but alas, it was all Disney. I'm not in the "Bubble" for every and all things Disney.

 

So no more Disney cruises for me, but I am glad that the Disney Dream was the cruise ship I was on after having broken my foot.