Is DCL that much better than the others?

[Tor32]

Those that have sailed with DCL v. RC/NCL. Are they really worth the extra bucks? Never cruised before so have nothing to compare it to. We are looking at Med cruises so probably our excursion costs may be high on top of the cruise cost.

[JessBlu]

I think we need a dibber who has cruised with moe than 1 cruise line.
I've only crused DCL but have booked an NCL for next year due to cost implications, so we will see, but I can't offer an opinion due to not cruising other lines, but I will be Intertesed in the respons.
Thanks for asking

[duchy]

Better is so subjective ... I have friends who love DCL but are huge Disney fans anyway (two or three trips a year to BC and have now retired to Vero Beach). They still cruise with other cruise companies as well . From what I can gather out of the mid range cruise companies like Norwegian DCL is a bit better (but more expensive) but compared head to head on facilities Celebrity and above offer nicer rooms , food etc but they enjoy the Disney atmosphere.

I think it's a bit like saying the BC is a nice hotel but for the same money you can get a nicer hotel but it won't have the Disney vibe which for some is worth paying for.

Another variation of the on/off site debate (Oh no ! )

[the_rangdo]

Having sailed with P&O, RCI and DCL the best I can say is they all have pros and cons.

DCL on Fantasy was our first fly-away cruise (Easter 2015), done after a week at Orlando, all others have been from Southampton.

On the whole the DCL cruise was great - loved the itinerary, the ship was great and generally immaculate, food was the best of all lines (especially the cover restaurants Remy and Palo), the obvious Disney theming, etc, etc

However there were some annoyances, partly caused by DD (11 at the time) not wanting to go into kids clubs, she views those as being like after-school club and not much of a holiday for her :-

Disney being very strict on alcohol around minors meant we were very limited in the evenings on where to go with DD. P&O and RCI we could go to a crows nest type bar, relaxed drinking environment that DD loved - made her feel grown-up. On the Fantasy we were limited to having a drink in or around the atrium, invariably surrounded by people queuing for the latest character meet & greet. We're not big drinkers BTW

The adult only deck areas are great, but they seem to be out of proportion to the family areas. So in adult only areas there was plenty of space, empty hot-tubs, plenty of available loungers, etc. Meanwhile the family areas were way over-crowded IMO - hot-tubs pretty much used as paddling pools by large groups of kids, pools that you can't swim in without bumping into people, limited loungers, generally not very relaxing.

And the biggie for DD was she couldn't join us in the cover restaurants, they're 18 and over only. Seems slightly at odds with the Orlando Disney restaurants and the DDP where she's a Disney adult after 10, but again biased towards providing a calm adults-only experience. DD is a bit of a foodie and likes variety, she hated when being on DDP meant she was tied to chicken nuggets or hot-dogs.

We do plan on going on another DCL, but only once DD is 18 so she can enjoy all the facilities.

The cost itself seemed quite reasonable at the time, possibly helped by the fact we were sailing direct from Canaveral, didn't need to add flight costs as we were already there, etc. The prices do seem to have increased since then.

[marlouwrig]

Our first two cruises (4 night Bahamian and 7 night Alaskan) were with Disney and we loved them.

Having just returned from our Celebrity Caribbean cruise my opinion is that Celebrity are definitely on a par with Disney in all aspects except entertainment where the theatre shows were disappointing and didn't provide the same level of production or spectacle. Two nights were just a comedian which I didn't really enjoy. Also much preferred the split bathroom arrangement on the Disney ships. DS chose the cruise because it was a great deal cheaper than the Disney ones which were soooo expensive in comparison

[Tor32]

Thank you for your advice that's really helpful. I think our then 8 year old will love the clubs but I'm not 100% sure with our 11 year old (funny age aren't they!) I need to have a look at the kids' clubs on all lines as to where he sits. He'd hate to be in with 7 year olds I think. This is why I hate booking things so far in advance! We are off to the Med (AI) this summer and it'll be interesting to see what he gets up to there. Last time we went on a beach type holiday he enjoyed sitting watching the 'adult' style shows with us rather than the kiddie parties. Places seem to have realised they need to offer something for teenagers but I do think 10-13 year olds seem to get lost.

[traceylou1972]

I think The Rangdo has summed it up well.

We have only sailed with DCL once and if it hadn't been for the fact we could use the adult area during the day I think I would have gone mad Youngest DD was only 16 at the time and as she looks older than her years we asked if we could use the adult area and was told yes.

Would I sail with DCL again, probably not, it just wasn't for me but there are plenty of Dibbers who will only sail with DCL.

Which ever cruise you choose you will have a great time.

[meboo]

Unless you're Disney mad, I can't see why you'd want to pay the premium for DCL. We have cruised DCL, P&O & Cunard. The kids club on Disney was better, the cinema was good. In my opinion, the entertainment on P&O was far better (ducks & prepares responses!). Food is comparable. Quality is service etc is comparable. So, overall I found them similar, and for this reason couldn't justify paying such a premium just because it's DCL.

[marlouwrig]

Just to add another reason we enjoyed the Celebrity cruise that it had a similar casual vibe to Disney. Yes there were two 'formal' evenings (Celebrity now call them 'evening chic') but as with Disney the dress level was optional, although shorts in the dining room were a nono.

There were quite a few children on our cruise as it was spring break (obviously nowhere near as many as on a Disney cruise) but the feedback we heard from other passengers was that the staff/child ratio was very good and the kids had a really good time

[Guest]

Let's just say if you want sheer luxury with a Disney edge then go for DCL. They do have an adult only area where you can escape the Mouse & Co.

Cruised on QM2 - restaurant food was excellent but entertainment and stateroom were not Disney level which coming from Cunard surprised us. (Chipped glasses in wet bar, "curly" canapes and dry bread on sandwiches at afternoon tea.