Disney Cruise Line - What to expect in comparison to other lines I haven't cruised that much in general (I've gone once on Carnival and once on RC) and I was curious if the Disney Cruise is anything special compared to other cruise lines.
Also my wife and I don't have kids yet, and we're in our late 20's, and we're wondering if the Disney cruise line is fully geared towards the kiddies, or if it is considered to be fun regardless of age.
Anybody have any special stories from a Disney cruise that makes you want to go back to them again for your next cruise?
Hello! My wife and I do not have children and love the Disney cruises. We are 34 and 31 years of age and find plenty for us to do. We enjoy Disney for the beauty of the ship (many other ships in port next to a Disney ship seem very dated), the size of the rooms, the great shows, the dining (you switch restaurants every evening, no casino (you can go to one in port) and the fact that they don't try to upsell you on everything.Originally Posted by watkinz
If you have any specific questions, we would be happy to answer them. We think it is the best vacation deal going. I have tried other cruise lines and refuse to go on any line other than Disney. If you get the chance to cruise on DCL, I am sure you will be hooked as well.
UPCOMING CRUISES
06/01/06 3 Night Disney Wonder (Cat. 2)
09/07/06 10 Night Southern Caribbean (Cat. 2)
11/11/06 7 Night "Double Dip" (Cat. 3)
01/07/07 4 Night Disney Wonder (Walt Disney Suite)
09/08/07 7 Night Western (Walt Disney & Roy Disney Suites) BACK 2 BACK
09/15/07 7 Night Eastern (Walt Disney & Roy Disney Suites) BACK 2 BACK
PREVIOUS CRUISES
07/02/05 Mexican Riviera (Roy Disney Suite)
01/26/06 3 Night Disney Wonder (Cat. 3)
While, I second your opinion of DCL. I just had to say after looking at your cruise list, you must have won the powerball lottery!
Thanks, Disneynut!
The absence of upselling seems really appealing. That was probably the most annoying part of the Carnival cruise we went on.
So if you switch restaurants every night, is that something that is assigned or is that optional? Any formal dining options?
I've been pretty disappointed with the entertainment on the other cruises. I would imagine this would be a stronger point with Disney.
On average, how has embarking/disembarking been? Carnival's straight up sucked. RC was an improvement. Understanding there are thousands of people trying to enter and leave, I'm prepared for a wait, but 3 hours was a little much for us at the end of a vacation.
As far as merchandise: Is there anything that is fairly exclusive to the Disney cruises? I always enjoy finding Disney related artifacts for my office.
Oh yeah, your schedule is pretty impressive. For someone who cruises so much, I appreciate your comments even more!
If you enjoy the Disney theme parks and movies, you will enjoy DCL. DCL is definitely better than Carnival and RCL. They are more on par with Holland America Line servicewise.
I like that DCL does offer some areas exclusively for adults, like the Adult pool, which is tranquil.
Your dining is assigned to you, but you have the same table number and wait staff every night to make it easier.
Entertainment on DCL is very good, especially if you love Disney.
I was drooling when I saw WDW1974's schedule. I wonder if he won the lotto.
I went on it twice and loved it, once with family, once with my husband. Ihave no kids, and we are in our early 30's. Actually I was in my late 20's at the time.
They rotate every night- not an option-you will rotate to a new resturaunt. It is fine though. The food was great! They also have a returaunt were you can make reservations to, adults only, you might like to try that.The rooms are much bigger in comparison to other cruises which was a plus (I have been on 2 other curises as well)
there is also a 'no kiddies" allowed pool, so again, if you are adults only and don't want to be bothered by others children, great.
There is also a "night club" section- which had like a condey club, dance club, etc.
It was a great experience. But to note on the cruises I went on- there is no gambling
Fratsor Sister - Delta Mu Chi Alpha
ΔΜΧΑ
Do you have to be over 18 to dine at Palo on either the Wonder or Magic?
Also, can anyone explain to me the dining course that you take on a 4 night cruise?
Sorry for my delay in responding. Quite a few questions to respond to so here goes:
Thanks! Actually, our plans have changed a great deal, take a look at our new "super vacation". As for the powerball, I only wish. We own a few companies (legal services firm, financial consulting firm and a cleaning company) and it allows us the ability to travel. We still hope to win the powerball so that we can convince Disney to build us our own apartment aboard one of the ships!
As for upselling, I want to be upfront and honest. Disney does do this, but only for the first few hours that you are on the ship. It is nowhere near the level as on other cruise lines. They do offer a wine package, water package, photo package and drink specials on deck. After the sailaway party, I find the selling stops (except at the spa).
You do switch restaurants each evening but you are not compelled to attend. You can either switch to a less formal dinner (buffet on deck 9) or go more fomal with Palo (with advance reservations). Many people simply order room service or get food from the hot dog station.
Entertainment is great! I do not care for Hercules at all, but it still seems to please some. The Golden Mickey's is fun and Disney Dreams is amazing. Twice Charmed (on the Disney Magic) is good but not my favorite.
We always book suites so we are always the first two people on the ship. Depending on when you arrive at the terminal, you are given a number and that is the group you board with (exclusions are handicap guests and concierge level guests). You simply walk on when they call your number. As for debarking, it was horrible in Los Angeles, but in Port Canaveral it took us a whole 4 minutes from ship to car (this was even with a wife who is a Mexican Citizen). Very easy...
Merchandise is good but not great. The flip side is, the ship is not littered with stores. Two tiny little stores that you will never even pass unless you want to. I bought a replica of each ship. They have cheaper ones and more expensive ones that run $250.00 I think.
You do have to be 18 to dine at Palo. A dress code is also enforced. As for the dining rotation, it depends on which seating you are. They have six seatings. They are:
Early Seating
6:00 - Parrot Cay, Tritons, Animators, Parrot Cay
6:15 - Tritons, Animators, Parrot Cay, Tritons
6:30 - Animators, Parrot Cay, Tritons, Animators
Late Seating
8:00 - Parrot Cay, Tritons, Animators, Parrot Cay
8:15 - Tritons, Animators, Parrot Cay, Tritons
8:30 - Animators, Parrot Cay, Tritons, Animators
This does change so check with Disney for your specific time.
As a travel professional and agency owner and one that sells quite a few cruises and has sailed on the Disney ship I can say it is a worthwhile ship to sail on. It has the ambiance and service of a more upscale cruise line. While it does market to families, it has quite a few offerings for adults. I would highly recommend though you go to a travel professional and let them explain the choices you have and ask you some questions about what you like to do. All the cruise lines have specific markets they target, and a good travel professional will try and match your vacation needs and wants to the right cruise line for you. Some wil try to sell you their "preferred cruise line" while others will listen to what you want and match to your prefernce not theirs. Disney cruises are not the least expensive, and if you are going to invest in this kind of money, some free advice can never hurt.
Are there any frequent cruisers out there who can compare Princess to Disney or Disney to Princess?
Thanks for the great info. everyone! Very much appreciated.
It is impossible to "compare" cruise line. Disney only has the two ships and a very unique position in the cruise market. If you are a fan of Disney, do not mind kids, think the itinerary is what you want to do, then I would go for it. it is not going to be the least expensive cruise, nor would I say it has the best service. It is a niche product, but it is well worth it. I just feel you need to talk to a travel professional who can advise of all your options, see what kind of trip you are trying to plan. I do this for a living, my consultation is free. if you decide to buy from me great. if not, you can always still go on the web, or direct, but at least you have more information. The key is finding a true travel professional and not someone out to just sell you.
The main reason I am planning to take a Disney Cruise is because I just want to go. I am planning a trip to Disney World this summer(first time there since 1990) and was hoping on just taking a 4 night cruise along with it. My main intention is to see the ships and enjoy their beauty. The ship looks so fun as does everything else that comes with the cruise. I have no intention of using Princess cruise lines for anything, but just wanted to know if there was difference between the two as far as quality.
Unfortunately, I have already been to Nassau several times, so I was planning on just taking in the ship and the immenities and then enjoy Castaway Cay (which I have never been to). My current plans make it a perfect fit to take a 4 night cruise prior to starting my Disney World vacation. Now I just have to have to go through the budget "stuff" and see if it is possible.
My entire family went on a "Disney crusie" back in 1990 when they were using Premier Cruise Lines (a.k.a. "The Big Red Boat") as sort of the charter deal and although I can't even remember it, everyone said the cruise was a terrible disaster. So as my mom and I are planning for this vacation, I had to explain to her that Disney's official cruise line started business in 1998. We are both Disney fans (me more than her though) and we are really itching to go on a Disney cruise.
Last edited by DisneyMickey; 03-10-2006 at 08:55 PM.
You get much more for your money with Princess. I recently sailed on the Golden Princess, which was built by the same company that built both Disney ships. But what Disney gives you is the best entertainment I've ever had at sea, a truly unique designed ship(s), Castaway Cay, which is a little piece of paradise ... and all those little Disney touches. Can you put a price on the magic? I don't know.
But, understand, they do it at the largest premium in the industry. And there are some weaknesses. Food for example is very average on Disney unless you pay the extra fee for Palo, which is incredible. Disney also doesn't have a casino, but that isn't an issue for me as when I want a casino, I go to Vegas. I also found that housekeeping was a bit of an issue on the Magic, while perfect on the Golden Princess. On Disney we got towel animals and a cabin that was made to 'appear' clean, but was obviously more of a going thru the motions deal.
I would sail again with DCL in a heartbeat, but it would have to be at a vast discount (like my last 7-night EC cruise on the Magic) because you can find amazing deals out there on other lines like Princess.
Since you have decided on Disney, you will likely have a great time. I did.
I've only sailed on Disney (twice), so I can't compare very much. We are sailing on the Island Princess in May (since Disney doesn't go to Alaska). DH and I are in our mid-20s, no kids.
I've heard the embarkation & disembarkation is so much easier on Disney (we had no problems, but don't have anything to compare it to).
They don't charge extra for soda. They even have a soda station that is always open on deck 9.
They have great entertainment. It is family friendly and fun for kids & adults. We went to a show every night.
The rotational dining is fun. I loved the atmosphere of the different dining rooms. The servers were great and it was nice to have the same ones each night.
The rooms are bigger than most other lines. We had an inside stateroom on our first cruise and an outside on our second. It was enough room for the two of us and we didn't feel cramped.
ALL room categories include a tub and a couch. In order to get those on Princess you have to pay for a mini-suite. It was sure nice to have a couch so we didn't have to sit on the bed to watch tv/movies.
Castaway Cay is incredible!!! The only way to get there is on DCL.
I love DCL and can't wait to go back (but no plans yet).
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