DCL Cruiser Considering RCCL

[dutch_girl_scout]

It will be my DH and I's 15th anniversary later this year. Just for fun we were pricing cruises and were surprised how reasonable some of them are. We are considering going on a 5-day cruise, on the SOS without our kids.

 

We only have experience with Disney Cruise Line. We went on our first last December and have another booked for later this year. There is nothing we would change about it.

 

Are we going to like RCCL? What are the major difference between DCL and RCCL, for example how does the dining work, what is the average "age" of the cruise, etc.?

 

Thanks for your help, I think no matter what we'd have a fun, but I'd feel better knowing a little bit before we go.

[Coralc]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Unfortunately there are at least 3 Royal Caribbean ships that have the initials SOS...Serenade, Sovereign and Splendour. We could give you better input if we knew which ship and itinerary you are considering. :)

[Schplinky]

The average age on our last RCCL cruise was 41. There were lots of kids.

 

On RCCL, you will find a better gym than the disney ships, there will be a casino (unlike Disney) and the shows will offer more varied musical styles. You will get a table assignment that you will keep the whole cruise, unlike Disney, where you cycle through the various rooms with your tablemates. Soda comes wtih a price (unlike on Disney at the dining room).

[JulieMcCoy]

We just came off our first RCI cruise (Grandeur of the Seas) after three Disney cruises. One thing I was pleased with was the level of service on RCI; several times, crew members went out of their way to help us with requests. I had been concerned about that, since Disney is known for great service.

 

Average age on our cruise was young, since there were several hundred college students on spring break. One of the comedians on board I thought catered more to the senior citizen crowd; the other guy, I thought was funnier, since I could personally relate to more of his jokes. Not very many young children on board.

 

Only two towel animals in our stateroom, versus every night for Disney - very minor point! Bring your own clock; none in room.

 

Similar types of activities on at-sea days on both ships.

 

Overall, I had very similar cruise experiences and would recommend either cruise line. If price were not a factor, I would still go with Disney, and I'm not exactly sure why.

[sheetshouse]

We are also DCL fans and can't imagine cruising with any other line. With that said however we are booked on the Mariner for April 2nd. The price difference was just too much to overlook.

 

We are not as excited as we were before the Disney cruises but I hope we will have a good time. We have two kids ages 7 and 9 and they are not excited at all.

[Shebbieal]

I am a Disney freak, we are going on our 4th cruise with them in June on the Magic.

 

I am also a RCCL freak, we have our 11th one booked for this Sept.

 

They are different very well done cruiselines. Disney is getting way too expensive so we may stay away from them for awhile. Disney shows, spectacluar, but they have them for a long time s they tend to us to get boring. Food is similar, so is service. We have been on each line both with/without kids. I wouldn't hesiate to recommend either line.

 

Sherry

[azbirdz]

Our first cruise was with DCL and 8 other family members (no kids). We loved it and it was the thing that gave us the spark to cruise more. Our next cruise was the Navigator of the Seas. We liked the rotation dining on Disney, but did not miss it on NOS. We expected to the NOS to be 'a step down' but were pleasantly surprised. We felt that the two lines were on par with each other -- and in fact have booked our other cruises with RCL --- mainly due to cost and itinerary. Disney is, well, DISNEY -- and for that alone not to be missed. But we can get our Disney fix other ways now. Enjoy -- and happy cruising! :)

[crusinmama06]

Personally I prefer RCCL over Disney. And money is not the reason for me. When I want to cruise, I book RCCL. When I want Disney I go to Disney World (see my siggie, leaving in 34 days for Wilderness Lodge Suite)

 

Here's my quick comparison...

 

--Shows - Disney's are spectacular. I think Disney has the edge here.

 

--Service - I had better service on RCCL than on Disney. I don't know what it was. On RCCL, I can STILL remember the names of our waiters, assistant waiters and room stewards (8 years later). They were so personable. They REALLY went out of their way to do things for us. On Disney, I never knew the name of our servers. Every night we had a problem getting drinks for the kids (milk, the same every night, never changed). Now, I understand it is probably just one set of bad servers we had. But it just left such a bad impression for me.

 

--Shopping - The only shopping on board the Magic was the Disney store (basically). Every items you ever wanted to buy that had a disney logo on it. And just two small stores. On RCCL, there are numerous shops, kiosks, etc. On the Sovereign, there is a whole floor of stores. It looks like a mini mall. You can get just about anything on board.

 

--Casino - Disney had none. I kind of missed it although I am not a big gambler.

 

--Midnight buffet, RCCL had a BIG midnight buffet with the butter and ice sculptures. It is something to see, even if you aren't hungry. DCL, has a couple of dessert tables (at 11pm right) and they really don't publicize it much.

 

--Food, personally, again, I liked RCCL better. It's not that DCL had bad food (no cruise IMO has bad food). I just like the selections better on RCCL.

 

Why don't you try one of the newer ships and really see the difference?

[dutch_girl_scout]

Thanks for all your responses, we were considering Sovreign of the Seas because it is a shorter cruise (guilt over leaving children and dog at home). I got some responses off the DIS board that I should look at a newer ship (Mariner) if I wanted something comprable to DCL. I looked into a 7-day on the Mariner and it too is very affordable.

 

Now I just have to decide whether to take the plunge or not. What is not included in the cruise price on RCCL? Someone said that pop is extra, are there fridges in the cabin so we could bring our own? Is there formal night, etc?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions, as much as I feel I "know" about DCL I know nothing about RCCL.

[crusinmama06]

Why don't you take it a step further and book the Freedom of the Seas ;)

http://www.freedomoftheseas.com/?sid=7

 

Join the crowd...lol.

 

There are usually 2 formal nights on board. The price includes "some beverages", soda is extra...

The cost of the package is $6.00 per person, per day, and is applicable to the total days of the cruise vacation. A 15% gratuity charge will be added.

[Schplinky]

On mariner (and most RCL ships) there are fridges in the rooms and you can bring soda aboard.