Compare & Contrast with DCL

[jeppler]

I hope this is useful, or at least semi-interesting to some on the board.

 

Well, after 4 DCL cruises on both the Magic and the Wonder the DW and I just returned from a 7 day Bahamas cruise on the 4 month old, brand new NCL Gem. I’m a big DCL fan so the chance to make a comparison was appealing. Plus, we sailed out of New York and saved airfare to MCO.

 

Overall, we had a great time on NCL, but here are some observations:

 

-Terminal building- Disney by a mile, the NCL building at the pier in New York was little more than a warehouse. And, do I need to compare the porters at DCL to the longshoremen handling luggage at the NY piers ?

 

-Embarkation- Disney again, knows how to move and handle huge numbers of people, We would have been in a line of 500 or more people, had we not had express embarkation because of our suite upgrade.

 

-Sail Away Party – NCL tried hard, champagne for all passengers upon boarding, and a live band in the big nightclub, along with barbeque stations on deck. Nobody lingered long up there, after all, it was February in New York. But, you don’t get the all-encompassing party atmosphere of DCL.

 

-Lobby- The NCL Gem was pretty, colorful, with a huge 2 story high Wii screen for the kids to play on. Much more cozy furniture and a bar right in the lobby, and a huge guest services desk, 3 times as large as the Magic.

 

-Lunch on boarding- buffet embarkation was a zoo. We should have gone to the main dining room for a sit down lunch. Nowhere left to sit when we got there, and we boarded pretty early due to our upgrade. No trays on NCL, they believe it’s too much trouble to sanitize them and also believe it prevents people from taking way too much food the first time through the line. But, try carrying your plate, drink, napkins, forks, desserts, etc without one.

 

-Cabins- our “mini-suite” was nice, about 290 sq ft. Right at the back of the ship, deck 10, looking at the wake of the ship as we sailed. Big balcony, 2 chairs, a lounger and a table. Huge closet, plenty of storage, coffee maker, DVD player, 36 inch flat screen TV and the usual lack of AC outlets.

 

-Private Island – Do I even have to say it? There is no place like Castaway Cay. On NCL we tendered into the “private” island. The beach was about half the area of the family beach on CC and we were packed in like sardines. Mad rush for lounge chairs, no umbrellas and very little shade. Lunch was not up the par either. Buffet lines laid out badly, no trays, soda was extra $$ and a separate line and wait at another hut. Bathroom facilities were adequate, but not DCL-level clean. Tenders coming and going all day, so the whole deserted island “experience” just wasn’t there. Parasailing was ok, the crew was a laugh riot and one of the guys sailed after we all had done it and he hung himself upside down in the harness, about 100 ft in the air while we took pictures.

 

-the Shows- good live band, great comedian, pretty good magician and the late night adult lounge acts and parties were on par with DCL.

 

-the Crew- we were really impressed, every on the crew was friendly, helpful and tried hard to make sure we had a great time.

 

- Food- Entrees were possibly better on NCL and the specialty restaurants were fun and nicely decorated. The main ding room was beautiful. NCL messed up one of our reservations one night and we waited 30 minutes to be seated. They said someone had come in and claimed to have a reservation they didn't find in their books, and after seating them, they got backed somehow. "Hey, not my problem, get me my reserved table". One minor problem, NCL has absolutely no “adults only” restaurants, you could end up sitting next to a noisy family with kids in any restaurant, anytime. Disney killed NCL with desserts, though. Nothing even came close to what we were used to from the DCL chefs.

 

Would we do NCL again ? Yes, and we re-booked onboard for next year. It’s different than “coming home” to the Magic, but still worth the time and money. And hey, even a bad cruise day better than a good day at work…

__________________

[Smellytoes]

That was very interesting. I've always wondered if I was missing something by not sailing a line such as Disney. But for the cost difference it doesnt sound like you were too disappointed.

[BeachBumMama]

Sounds like you had a nice time, obviously, since you booked again.:) There are going to be differences in every ship and every cruise line, and I like it that way. Gives me a variety of choice, but the problem is, so many cruises, so little time. Have fun next year!:D

[JerseyMom]

I have also done both DCL as well as NCL. Overall, I prefer NCL. I have to agree with you about the terminal, embarcation, and private island for DCL being far superior to NCL. I would also add that I liked the fact that sodas are included in the price of the cruise and I loved the shows on DCL (at least those in the main theater) more but then again, I am a Disney nut. I thought the food, service, not to mention price is much better on NCL. I also like the fact that NCL is less kiddie oriented and more family oriented (i.e., more stuff for the adults to do) and that NCL has casinos on board - DCL does not. One of the biggest pluses for me is Freestyle Dining - I don't understand why more lines don't go this route. This next cruise is the first time I will be taking DS on NCL so we will see how he likes the kid's program on NCL. He was not impressed with DCL's.

 

I would sail either line in a heart beat but until DCL comes down in price, I probably won't be sailing DCL again anytime soon.

[jeppler]

That was very interesting. I've always wondered if I was missing something by not sailing a line such as Disney. But for the cost difference it doesnt sound like you were too disappointed.

 

We thought NCL was a good cruise at a good price. But, to be fair, we weren't always comparing the same experiences. On the Gem, we had a great upgrade from a balcony room to a "romance Suite, AD category" with Concierge. On DCL we have only sailed in a balcony room and never had concierge available at that class. The Gem is only 4 months old, a brand new ship, and the DCL fleet is 10 years old. It will be interesting what changes DCL makes in 2011 and 2012 when their 2 new ships are delivered.

 

The odd thing is, you'd probably think that a DCL cuise would be overrun with kids, but, in fact, DCL does such a great job providing "adults only" pools, night clubs, restaurant and private island beach area, that you see less kids on DCL, if that's what you want !

[newmexicoNita]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise, the 2 lines are very different thus comparing them is almost impossible.

 

I think you did a great job of trying to compare the two lines. I know from experience this is very difficult. One thing we all have to remember is the price difference, DCL is about 1/3 to 1/2 more than NCL or most other mass marketed lines.

 

As for the embarkation, one was out of NY, the other not. Many of the lines are getting new terminals, depending on the embarkation port. I know Los Angeles used to be awful, now both Princess and NCL have wonderful terminals.

 

thanks again for giving us your honest view.

 

Nita

[JackieL]

Our first cruise ever was on Disney...2001...I thought it was phenomenal. Even now, I was so impressed by the way they rotate you through the three restaurants, and the Animator's Palate (not sure, I think that was the name of it) was thrilling. The fact that your waitstaff rotates with you was a great touch. I also agree with the post regarding the adults-only resources on the Disney ships. I hung out there while my kids were in their program.

 

However, we are booked on the Dawn this June and looking forward to trying NCL for the first time. We love almost everything on each cruise (DCL, Carnival, and RCCL), so I'm sure NCL will be wonderful (anxiety about the food notwithstanding...gotta stop reading some of these posts!).

 

With regard to embarkation and debarkation, I don't measure a cruise line by any of that stuff. Traveling can be stressful no matter what...I view those parts as necessary evils until you can cross that threshold, smile for the camera, and go on your merry way!:D Besides, I'm at the point that I'm too lazy to fly to go cruise somewhere....let's just get on the boat in NY or NJ and off we go!

[garycarla]

Disney does a great job, of course.

 

Not sure if you can compare embarkation since Disney does not even sail out of NYC, or hundreds of other places that NCL and other cruiselines sail from. Have a fixed location in Florida does allow one to do a better job.

 

But, in the end, Disney is in a class by itself.

[coffeebean]

No casino on DCL. DH and I will never sail on them.

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for the review. I have only heard wonderful things about DCL. I have two questions. . .

 

Would you recommend DCL two couples cruising without children along, and;

 

What are the price comparisons of DCL and NCL? Anytime I priced DCL the cost for a four day cruise was more than seven days on NCL.

[llachance]

can work as well for couples without children as with. However, for Disney you will probably always pay more for the same destination.

 

Disney has distinct areas where children are not allowed and they do not hesitate to move them out if they wander in. There is an adult pool where the only time you may see kids is when they come to find their parents. Imagine, hot tubs without kids :) There is an adult only restaurant (upcharge) that has really good food and offers a brunch as well on their longer cruises. There are several bars that turn into adult only areas after 10:00 pm and they enforce it because there are kids areas where kids and adults can go. My favorite bar was the piano bar where no kids were allowed ever! Watched more then once where parents tried to bring in kids because "no one else is in here" and they were asked to leave.

 

Love the rotating dining where your staff moves with you. Gives you a different seat every night but the staff that you have come to love or hate :) When I traveled as a single parent I sat at a table with adults - my daughter was 14 and as soon as she was done with dinner she excused herself and headed to the teen club. They try to match you to families of similar aged children. I think that the food wasn't any better or worse then any other cruise line (I have been on HAL, Carnival, Princess, RCL and Cunard) and there is a buffet available as well.

 

Shows are family oriented but broadway ready. In the later evening there are adult only shows as well but even the adult only shows are fairly tame. And if you want a casino don't go on Disney because they don't have them. And, because it is a family oriented ship it does tend to be quiet by midnight....something you should consider.

 

Have sailed on Disney 3 times and considered it again this summer but got a good deal on a cruise to the carribean to ports I haven't been to so made that choice. Can't wait until their new ships come out in a couple of years because I think they will travel to new destinations and I will be there again!

[JerseyMom]

Thanks for the review. I have only heard wonderful things about DCL. I have two questions. . .

 

Would you recommend DCL two couples cruising without children along, and;

 

What are the price comparisons of DCL and NCL? Anytime I priced DCL the cost for a four day cruise was more than seven days on NCL.

 

1. DCL is much more expensive than NCL. How much more depends on the itinerary.

 

2. I would not recommend DCL to two couples cruising without children along. While I loved DCL, if I were traveling without children, I would not sail

DCL. I thought the line was too child oriented - which was great especially when DS was small. Also, there is no casino on DCL so if that is important to you, you definitely want to avoid this line.

[musicgirl63]

Thanks for the comparison.

 

I was a DCL addict. I swore I wouldn't cruise other than DCL. We love it. But their itinerary choices for the summer to be out of the caribbean for the 7 night cruises 2 years in a row sent me in search of another cruise line. And of course the sky rocketing fares.

 

We sailed on the Crown Princess last June and now in June we'll be on the NCL Dawn. I have to admit, DCL topped the facilities/food etc compared to the Crown. Don't get me wrong, the Crown was great. We had an absolute blast on the Crown because of a roll call with 15000+ posts and hanging out with everyone from it.

 

I am concerned with the Dawn because of the lack of adult only areas. Yes, we can go to the pool in the spa, but you have to pay extra and it is inside. I knew on DCL that there were tons of places to go with out kids around. Especially on their private island. A mile long adult beach with it's own eating area (fresh grilled t-bone steaks and lobster at least on our last trip), there were probably 15 people on this beach....need I say more!!!

 

I never minded the traditional style on DCL, we do prefer it but only on DCL because of the rotating restaurant system. On the Crown, we did traditional but it was the same restaurant, same table every night.

 

I am concerned and happy with the freestyle on NCL. Happy because we really don't have to worry about dressing up. We didn't mind it, but our luggage is so heavy with suites, dress shoes (dh is 6-2 and 6-0 =big clothes!)

 

Concerned because I don't want to stress over dinner plans which is what the freestyle is meant to eliminate. What time to eat, will it be crowded, will I find myself wandering the ship looking for a non crowded restaurant and then ending up at the buffet????

[musicgirl63]

Thanks for the review. I have only heard wonderful things about DCL. I have two questions. . .

 

Would you recommend DCL two couples cruising without children along, and;

 

What are the price comparisons of DCL and NCL? Anytime I priced DCL the cost for a four day cruise was more than seven days on NCL.

 

 

I highly recommend DCL for couples without kids. There is one couple on the disboards that have cruised with them well over 50 times with no kids.

 

There are so many adults only places, pool, the spa, the work out area, bars, entertainment series, coffee house, Serenity Bay on their island (see previous post). I loved passing through the kids area on my way to peace and quiet and adult conversations.

 

While Disney may have a lot of kids, when we sailed on the Crown Princess, there were just as many. Like most cruise lines, go during the school year and it will be great.

 

I didn't think the the ship was "over the board Disney". The ship is beautifully decorated with Disney in it, but not overdone. There are not characters everywhere all day. They only go to certain places at certain times and that is posted.

 

While the theater shows were all disney, they had alot of adult humor just like in the movies. There were also adult night shows that were not disney-like.

 

From reading reviews and being on the Crown, it sounds like most people agree that there are not many lines who have enough adult only areas. And even when they do, it sounds like many of the lines do not enforce the rules. I know on Disney, that is not the case. If a child walks into the adult pool area, a CM will be there in less than a minute.

 

Oh, BTW I have a ds-17 who cruised with us on all of our cruises. Let's just say that on all of them, it was just as if we didn't have him with us. He loved the clubs on all the cruises and we didn't see him except for dinner, going into port and around 1 or 2 each night. It was as if we were cruising child free.

[musicgirl63]

OOps I forgot the price comparison. Yes, DCL is expensive compared to others. I find it hard to book these days but I want to when the new ships come out.

 

Our 9 night on Princess (highest balcony room) was cheaper in June of 2007 than our 7 night (inside) on DCL in June of 2006.

 

Ok here is where the "you get what you pay for" rings true. Please remember I'm not bashing anyone here.

 

Rooms-DCL wins here big time. The reason that I got a balcony last year and on this upcoming Dawn one is because the inside rooms on Princess and NCL are tiny. I had originally booked my Princess as an inside room and I referred to it as my "Aloha Closet".

 

Our balcony room on the Princess was no bigger than our room on DCL not including the balcony. In fact, other than the nice open closet, we had more living space on DCL and no pull down bed for us because the couch was a pull out. On Princess there wasn't a couch until mini-suites. All rooms on DCL have a couch which is also a bed.

 

EVERY room on DCL has a 3/4th bathtub. Only the 2 lowest cat have 1 bathroom. You can get an inside room cat. 10 with a split bathroom. In order to get a bathtub on NCL or Princess, you have to get mini-suites. On the Princess the big joke about the shower was that it was so small you should just soap the walls and then spin around to get clean.

 

If I get the chance to cruise on DCL again, I would most certainly book an inside room. While we don't spend a lot of time in the room, I don't want to feel closed in.

 

Again there are more adult areas with DCL.

 

DCL pools are all fresh water. I'm not happy with salt water pools.

 

I personally like the food on DCL better than the Crown.

 

On DCL they are currently expanding their port selection which will probably be bigger when the 2 new ships come out.

 

While our servers and room hosts were all excellent, the atmosphere on DCL was better....ok here it comes....more magical. Sorry, I just had to do it!

 

If DCL would have been in the Caribbean for 7 nights this coming June, I would have skipped a cruise/big vacation last year in order to save money to go on DCL.

 

Again, not cutting on others...for some people there is just something about DCL that keeps people like me returning.

 

Honestly, any cruise where I don't have to cook or clean is perfect for me!!!

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks for the review. I have only heard wonderful things about DCL. I have two questions. . .

 

Would you recommend DCL two couples cruising without children along, and;

 

What are the price comparisons of DCL and NCL? Anytime I priced DCL the cost for a four day cruise was more than seven days on NCL.

I can answer your questions but others may have a different take: I probably would not recommend Disney cruising to couples without children, but there are always exceptions and yes, the price will be at least 50% higher than the basic mass marketed lines.

 

Nita

[musicgirl63]

I can answer your questions but others may have a different take: I probably would not recommend Disney cruising to couples without children, but there are always exceptions and yes, the price will be at least 50% higher than the basic mass marketed lines.

 

Nita

 

But have you ever sailed on DCL? I looked through your cruises, and either I missed it, or you haven't sailed DCL.

 

I've read and enjoyed many of your posts, but how can you not recommend Disney if you haven't sailed on it?

[chrisbd1]

.

 

I am concerned with the Dawn because of the lack of adult only areas. Yes, we can go to the pool in the spa, but you have to pay extra and it is inside.

 

On the Dawn the kids area and kids pool is on the other end of the ship-deck 11 aft. Looking at the kids pool, there's no reason for children to really want to come to the adults pool.

[musicgirl63]

On the Dawn the kids area and kids pool is on the other end of the ship-deck 11 aft. Looking at the kids pool, there's no reason for children to really want to come to the adults pool.

 

Wait, what adult pool? The only one I was aware of is the one in the spa that you pay extra for.

 

What about the 10-17 crowd?

 

What about in June with all the school kids?

 

How crowded was it on your Dawn cruise?

[newmexicoNita]

But have you ever sailed on DCL? I looked through your cruises, and either I missed it, or you haven't sailed DCL.

 

I've read and enjoyed many of your posts, but how can you not recommend Disney if you haven't sailed on it?

No I haven't but as a Travel Agent I have several clients that have. Normally I agree, we shouldn't compare what we haven't experienced and yet in my posiition I often have no choice. to. Normally I will preface my remarks by saying views are based on reports back more than personal experiences. Over and over I have had clients with older children and on a few occasions childless couples that have reported they would not sail DCL again though the ships are beautiful, fun and the cabins nicer than most mass marketed line cabins.

 

If you notice, I did say, there are exceptions. I have a client (mid 70s) who just did a 5 day Disney World vacation and had a blast. That was an exception.

 

Again, you do bring up a very good point. We can really only judge by experience.

 

Nita

[MrPete]

There's nothing like the Service, the ships, the Disney atmosphere, the embarkation and deparkation procedures you get on Disney, but when are they going to fix the food!

 

And Disney stands alone. It's hard to compare it to anything, cause it's a Disney cruise vs. a cruise.

 

I would also recommend everyone try it once, but after once, it's all the same.

[MrPete]

No I haven't but as a Travel Agent I have several clients that have. Normally I agree, we shouldn't compare what we haven't experienced and yet in my posiition I often have no choice. to.

 

Nothing forces you to respond to each and every post. :rolleyes:

[musicgirl63]

No I haven't but as a Travel Agent I have several clients that have. Normally I agree, we shouldn't compare what we haven't experienced and yet in my posiition I often have no choice. to. Normally I will preface my remarks by saying views are based on reports back more than personal experiences. Over and over I have had clients with older children and on a few occasions childless couples that have reported they would not sail DCL again though the ships are beautiful, fun and the cabins nicer than most mass marketed line cabins.

 

If you notice, I did say, there are exceptions. I have a client (mid 70s) who just did a 5 day Disney World vacation and had a blast. That was an exception.

 

Again, you do bring up a very good point. We can really only judge by experience.

 

Nita

 

I understand that as a TA you do have to give opinions even if you haven't been on a cruise.

 

However, I strongly disagree with the number of people who wouldn't cruise DCL without children. I have cruised DCL 4 times (with a child) and have met many adults traveling without children. We met a very nice young couple that we hung out a lot of the time with that couldn't wait to rebook. While on board I never heard a single complaint from people without kids. In fact, most people who were with kids were looking forward to going without them. I'm one of them even though my ds-17 would love to cruise again on DCL. He'll be in college soon and then on his own....tee hee .....and I'll be booking again! SHHH! don't tell him!

 

I'm sure you've heard as a TA about a certain board/forum (that I really can't mention here) that caters specifially to DCL only. If you read those boards, you would without a doubt have a different point of view.

[chrisbd1]

Wait, what adult pool? The only one I was aware of is the one in the spa that you pay extra for.

 

What about the 10-17 crowd?

 

What about in June with all the school kids?

 

How crowded was it on your Dawn cruise?

 

The Oasis pool is deck 12 mid, in front of the Topsidders Bar.

 

I was wrong, the kids pool area is deck 12 aft. It's call T-Rex Kids pool. Go to Ncl.com and go to the Dawn's page. Click 'Find you way around the decks". You can look, deck by deck, and see what's where.

 

We went in November, with a full ship. I have no idea how many children were there, but I saw plenty of kids from Kids Club. I didn't feel crowded. The Dawn has the raised pool deck, kinda like an amphatheater, so there were plenty of deck chairs. The newer ships have a different lay-out for the pool area, kids pool and adult pool next to one another. I believe the Spirit has the same thing, kids pool competely seperate from the adult pool area.

[musicgirl63]

The Oasis pool is deck 12 mid, in front of the Topsidders Bar.

 

I was wrong, the kids pool area is deck 12 aft. It's call T-Rex Kids pool. Go to Ncl.com and go to the Dawn's page. Click 'Find you way around the decks". You can look, deck by deck, and see what's where.

 

We went in November, with a full ship. I have no idea how many children were there, but I saw plenty of kids from Kids Club. I didn't feel crowded. The Dawn has the raised pool deck, kinda like an amphatheater, so there were plenty of deck chairs. The newer ships have a different lay-out for the pool area, kids pool and adult pool next to one another. I believe the Spirit has the same thing, kids pool competely seperate from the adult pool area.

 

I've happily printed and almost memorized the decks (sorry, I'm an overplanner!). However, the Oasis pool is not an adult's only pool correct?