Can't decide between RC and Disney cruise to Caribbean

[dlhoward]

We will be traveling with our 7 year old granddaughter and their parents. With the dates we can go, there are 2 cruises in March/April

Disney Wish for 3 nights going to Nassau and Castaway Cay. No day at sea.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for 4 nights. Going to Bimini, Bahamas and Coco Cay. 1 day at sea.

 

Which ship is nicer for all of us?

Which one has better food?

Which one has the better islands?

I'm fairly certain weather doesn't prevent docking in Nassau but what about the others? Can RC get totally weathered and be at sea the whole trip?

 

We just can't decide. Seems like the Disney characters would be so fun for the little one but is one less day. No day at sea means not much time on ship to do some of the fun stuff. The ports seem better but haven't been to them. Hoping others have been on these ships.

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

"Better" food is totally subjective...not sure how we can determine that for you. We don't know you.

 

It's pretty unlikely weather will affect your cruise. I would scratch that off your list. 

 

Overall, I would select the longer cruise.

[leaveitallbehind]

Not sure if this would matter but one significant difference is that Disney does not have casinos, while RCI does.  As a result of this, the Disney theme, and other factors, Disney is typically measurably more expensive than RCI for what IMO is a very similar product.

 

And the weather would affect either cruise line the same, not just RCI.  All of the ports that would be called on by RCI have piers for docking, as does Disney.  Weather would be a bigger factor for tendering, so that would not be a concern.

 

I also would lean towards the longer itinerary.

Edited September 3 by leaveitallbehind

[GTO-Girl]

If I had a 7yr old granddaughter I would absolutely do Disney!!  If she has never done a Disney cruise she is the perfect age to fully enjoy it!!

 

Although my granddaughters are now 17 & 22 they still talk about their Disney cruises….

[Shmoo here]

4 hours ago, dlhoward said:

We will be traveling with our 7 year old granddaughter and their parents. With the dates we can go, there are 2 cruises in March/April

Disney Wish for 3 nights going to Nassau and Castaway Cay. No day at sea.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for 4 nights. Going to Bimini, Bahamas and Coco Cay. 1 day at sea.

 

Which ship is nicer for all of us?

Which one has better food?

Which one has the better islands?

I'm fairly certain weather doesn't prevent docking in Nassau but what about the others? Can RC get totally weathered and be at sea the whole trip?

 

We just can't decide. Seems like the Disney characters would be so fun for the little one but is one less day. No day at sea means not much time on ship to do some of the fun stuff. The ports seem better but haven't been to them. Hoping others have been on these ships.

Thanks

Much as I love DCL, I'm firmly in the "longer is better" camp.  So, a 4 night wins out over a 3 night.

[SelectSys]

5 hours ago, dlhoward said:

Seems like the Disney characters would be so fun for the little one but is one less day

That and the entertainment is what you are paying for on Disney.  If you take the Disney cruise, I would keep the shore time to a minimum and try and get on board as soon as possible.

 

BTW - our first two cruises were on Disney and we really loved it as our kids were young at the time.  After taking two cruises, I just couldn't see paying the Disney premium and moved on to other lines.

[NotADopey1]

Your 7 year old will love Disney cruise and it is hard to compare the experience to any other cruise line.  

[Host Kat]

23 hours ago, dlhoward said:

We will be traveling with our 7 year old granddaughter and their parents. With the dates we can go, there are 2 cruises in March/April

Disney Wish for 3 nights going to Nassau and Castaway Cay. No day at sea.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas for 4 nights. Going to Bimini, Bahamas and Coco Cay. 1 day at sea.

 

Which ship is nicer for all of us?

Which one has better food?

Which one has the better islands?

I'm fairly certain weather doesn't prevent docking in Nassau but what about the others? Can RC get totally weathered and be at sea the whole trip?

 

We just can't decide. Seems like the Disney characters would be so fun for the little one but is one less day. No day at sea means not much time on ship to do some of the fun stuff. The ports seem better but haven't been to them. Hoping others have been on these ships.

Thanks

 

Hello @dlhoward and welcome back to the Cruise Critic website and message boards! I see it has been quite a while since you have posted.

 

I suggest you research our Special Interest Cruising - Family Cruises forum. The majority of fellow Cruise Critic members that cruise with children frequent the forum and give good feedback there. Browse through the thread titles on the forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

Also, perhaps something in the following oldie but goody Cruise Critic articles will be helpful: 

Best Cruises for Kids: The 6 Most Kid-Friendly Cruise Lines and Cruise Ships Last updated February 28, 2024

Family Cruising: 11 Tips for Booking the Best Family Cruise Last updated January 10, 2023

Cruise Lines That Offer Free Cruises for Kids Last updated October 9, 2019

 

The Cruise Critic website and message boards are both great resources for new as well as experienced cruisers, and we are so glad you are posting again! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list for the various forums. I suggest you Bookmark the page or put it in your Favorites for quick and easy access in the future. Please read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

Hope this will be helpful and glad to have you back aboard Cruise Critic!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[Aquahound]

Disney wish is only 2 years old, and Voyager of the Seas is 24 years old.  I have not been aboard Wish but I think it's safe to say she's the nicer ship.  

 

On the other hand, 4 nights beats 3 nights.  Coco Cay has become a private island destination in and of itself and yes, it has a dock.  

 

Not for nothing, but I know a lot of people who were die-hard Disney fans until they tried RCI and realized they can get just as good a cruise for a fraction of the cost.  Rarely do I hear it the other way around.  

 

Good luck on your selection.

[Cruzaholic41]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:49 PM, Aquahound said:

 

 

Not for nothing, but I know a lot of people who were die-hard Disney fans until they tried RCI and realized they can get just as good a cruise for a fraction of the cost.  Rarely do I hear it the other way around.  

 

This. Although in this case I would recommend the brand new Wish over Voyager. But if the RCI choice was Oasis, Quantum or Icon Class, it would be hands-down RCI over Disney for me.