As many of you know, I’m an avid cruiser. I’ve been sailing for 27 years. I’ve cruised on Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Princess. Then in October I took my first Disney Cruise!
Disney won top honors yet again for Best Cruise Line for Families and Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean according to U.S. News and World Report. It was no surprise to me now that I have first hand experience of a Disney cruise. Disney really is the best in my opinion, but let’s not count Royal Caribbean out! It depends on what YOU expect from your cruise experience, and ultimately what your budget allows.
I was lucky enough to travel with some of my co-workers/friends at Five Star Travel Group where we could share the cost of a verandah stateroom on the Disney Dream for a 3-night Bahamas cruise. My individual fare was less than $800. But for a family of 4 when you have to pay it all, you’re looking at $3200 for a 3-night cruise with a balcony. A family of 4 could have a week long cruise for that price on Royal Caribbean.
So it’s no secret that Disney is more expensive than the other lines. Those who are used to cruising the other lines will scoff at a DCL quote or need to recuperate from sticker shock. Obviously, if DCL is too much of a spurge, then just pass on it. But I will say that the increase in cost is justified. There is certainly a reason why Castaway Club members keep cruising Disney year after year.
Wins for Disney:
- Embarkation– extremely organized and easy to check-in. The lounge area in Port Canaveral was beautiful – you definitely feel like you enter the “Disney Bubble” with the music, the smells, and the Disney decor. There’s no doubt you’re boarding a Disney cruise. The terminal isn’t shared with any other line. Captain Mickey even arrives, poses for pictures, and signs autographs. The whole boarding experience is magical from the “first family” being chosen to begin the boarding process, to each family being announced and greeted by the ship’s officers as they step aboard the ship.
- Theming – From stem to stern, Disney bases their decor on classic ocean liners of the past, with a Disney twist of course. Is it because I love Disney that I prefer a ship that has Sorcerer Mickey hanging from the stern? Maybe. I like the dark hull and the red stacks that just seem classy to me. Disney has a way with creating an atmosphere that exudes happiness. The furniture and decor on the ship are tastefully done with subtle Disney accents. Many Disney pictures on the walls come to life when you stand in front of them – transforming into animated shorts!
- Staterooms – so nice! I loved having the 2 bathrooms, and the pillows and beds were so comfortable. There’s no need to request an egg crate pad for your bed like I’ve done on other lines. Also there was definitely more storage than I’m use to – more than we could all use.
- Friendliness of the crew – I noticed more interaction between the crew and passengers – they go out of their way to make sure you are happy. While crew on the other lines can be very friendly too, it’s just a little different. On DCL, there’s that whole other level of customer service that you would expect from Disney.
- Food – far surpasses any other line. Everything tasted wonderful. I’ve been on other lines where you pick up 3-4 petite desserts – taste them, and then wonder why they all taste alike? Not on Disney. I finished each and every dessert! Disney only has 2 specialty restaurants: Palo and Remy. Royal Caribbean can have as many as 20 specialty restaurants on one ship. But in my opinion, why do you need so many specialty restaurants (that cost extra)? Shouldn’t the food in the main dining areas be yummy enough? We dined in Palo for the experience – and it was probably the best meal I have ever had in my life. I would gladly pay $30 for that again! While on the subject of food… did I mention the Krispy Kreme donuts at the breakfast buffet??
- Kids Clubs – All the cruise lines have kids clubs, but it’s hard to compete when on Disney, the kids are playing in Toy Story’s Andy’s room, Tinkerbell’s tree house, or in the Millennium Falcon. Then add character interactions in the kids clubs – who doesn’t want to do the Hokey Pokey with Mickey and Minnie?
- Adults Only Areas – there’s an adult only pool as well as an area of the ship called “The District” which has entertainment, bars, lounges, games, and food!
- Soft Drinks included – not something terribly important, but other lines charge as much as $22 per person per day to be able to have soft drinks during your cruise. I don’t drink much soda at home, but it was nice to have some “bubbles” while on board.
- Chocolates on your pillow! I haven’t seen this on the other lines since the 1990s!
- Toiletry Products – top of the line H2O products that you can buy on the Disney website…. yep, I brought some of that home with me! They come in bottles big enough to last your cruise, and there’s no guessing what is in that dispenser hanging in the shower on other lines.
- Fish Extender Gift Exchange – unique to Disney Cruises, an on board gift exchange. It’s Christmas on every Disney cruise! I should write another article on just that. Basically via Facebook, passengers sign up for an optional gift exchange with fellow passengers in about 10 cabins. You bring gifts for people you are assigned and secretly deliver gifts to pockets hanging outside their stateroom doors. The others in your FE group do the same and surprise you with gifts!
- Drinks and Cold Towels at the pier – when we returned to the ship in Nassau when it was 95 degrees, I was so relieved to see a whole drink center set up BEFORE we returned on board. We didn’t have to make our way all the way to the buffet to grab something cold to drink! It was like Disney was saying, “We care. We know you’re hot. Have a beverage!” And they handed out cold damp washcloths to freshen up with!
- Dining Rooms – atmosphere and decor. Superb. Where else can a dining room come to life? You start your meal in Animator’s Palate and the walls and drawings are black and white. Then during your meal, the black and white still pictures change to colored drawings, and then to animated characters swimming around the room from one wall to the next! The characters even stop and interact with you LIVE! They ask about your day, make comments about what you’re eating, what you’re wearing, etc. Crush asked me how my day at the spa was! So fun!
- Holiday Themed Cruises and Specialty Days at Sea – Halloween on the High Seas, Merrytime Cruises, Marvel Days at Sea, and Star Wars Days at Sea on select cruises. And every Disney cruise that has a day at sea has FIREWORKS!
- Pools – Royal Caribbean has more pools to choose from, so I was going to list this below, but then I remembered that Disney not only heats their pools, they are FRESHWATER chlorinated pools, not salt water. Plus Disney is one of the few cruise lines that has lifeguards watching the pools. As of right now, Royal Caribbean does not.
Now… Wins for Royal Caribbean:
- Casino – there are no casinos on board Disney ships. They have bingo but that is all as far as gambling.
- Shopping – Disney had about 5 shops on the Dream if I remember correctly with a decent selection, but I wish they had a lot more. Maybe I just wanted to buy more! They didn’t have a duty-free liquor store either, which was noticeably missing.
- Physical Activities – no doubt Royal Caribbean’s newer ships have a TON of things for people to do with the surf lessons, bumper cars, rock walls, zip lines, and ice skating. The Dream and Fantasy have the Aqua Duck (raft tube ride) which I loved. And the Wonder and Magic have the Aqua Dunk which is a drop water slide. I am anxious to see what Disney’s 3 future ships will have on board – Mad Hatter Tea Cups? Space Mountain? Hmmm…
- Live Music Poolside – I missed the sounds of steel drums/reggae music around the pool area.
- Choice of Itineraries and Ships – Royal Caribbean’s fleet is MUCH larger than Disney and therefore they have more cruises to offer passengers with different itineraries. Disney only has 4 ships right now. But the first of 3 larger ships is coming in 2021. I’m anxious to see how their new ships will compare to other mega ships.
- Cost – the biggest win for Royal Caribbean. You get a great cruise for a good value. But then again, if Disney Cruises cost the same as the other lines, no one would ever sail a line other than Disney again. Maybe it’s Disney’s way of “playing nice” and not monopolizing the market, ha!
So when you are considering Disney or Royal Caribbean, all I can suggest is price out both, then think about what you will experience on both lines. What it comes down to is this: Do you want to go to your favorite gourmet restaurant or have fast food for dinner? Both meals will fill your stomach, but with very different experiences and different prices on the menus.
But it’s like that with any vacation really. Like when you look at resorts… you can stay at a 2-3 star hotel or you can pay more for a 4-5 star hotel. Just like you can buy a Kia or you can buy a Mercedes. Both will get you places, but they’re very different when it comes to the experience and price.
If you have any questions or want to explore cruising some more, just ask me! I’m happy to help! I love cruising and now I am spoiled. On the sea is where I always prefer to be and now I just want to sail with Mickey!
Happy Travels ~ Laurie
LaurieFiveStarTravel@gmail.com
215-435-4151
Laurie at Five Star Travel Group 