[cinderbella]

Other than the obvious Disney customer relations and the private Castaway Cay..what is the benefit of a Disney Cruise over a regular cruise line like Royal Carribean or Carnival?
I have been fake planning Disney cruises for years but they are just too far out of our price range since we could only go in the summer or spring break. But it looks like we could reasonably do one of the other cruise lines.

Any horror stories or positives about the others?

[tinkerbelle24]

To be honest I dont know the difference but i was told that Disney was the best one because of the entertainment alone. I was thinking about going on a disney cruise for some time now but the cheapest for me would be Sept and that is hurricane season.

[johnkimv]

I would LOVE to do a Disney cruise because I love everything Disney. I am sure it would be nothing short of spectacular.

BUT!!!

I have a hard time justifiying the cost of a Disney cruise compared to one on Carnival. I could take 2 or 3 on Carnival for what it would cost for one on Disney Cruise Line.

Last week I took my 10th cruise on Carnival since 2001. Obviously, I love Carnival and think they do a great job at entertaining people our age. It isn't called the fun ship for nothing.

I have also looked into Royal Caribbean, but they are quite a bit higher pricewise than Carnival. Quite frankly, I will not be climbing a rock wall or ice skating when I am on a cruise so that does not appeal to me.

Pick the ports you want to see and do some interesting excursions- you will have a great time!! Oh, and maybe you will see a Disney ship in one of the ports you stop at!

I like to vacation- OFTEN, and if that means no Disney cruise then so be it!! I'll keep my Carnival!!

[Cosmicwaves]

I've only been on 2 cruises...both Carnival. One on an older ship (Fantasy) and one on a newer ship (Legend) I had a great time on both, and like johnkimv, I cannot justify the higher expense of a Disney cruise.
Feel free to ask me any Carnival related questions.

[Cosmicwaves]

P.S...My avatar is me enjoying a "Drink of the Day" on the deck of the Carnival Legend. Don't ask me what was in the drink, but it was fruity, strong, and delish!

[dh464]

We did the disney cruises for the kids and love it.We also did the freestyle cruiseing with Norwegian no kids and loved that also.I don't know if I would spend that kinda money on a cruise if it was not for the kids!What we liked about disney,dining food was great,and the entertainment was disney,the kids Oh I forgot they where there at times they were busy all day and half the night,Castaway Cay.Norwegian No Disney at all which is good for some adult time.Food was great and we got to choice when and where we eat and with who if anyone at all.A big plus to us was we left out of NY no air.We also spent 1/3 of what we did on the DCL and got a 11 day cruise.While we loved the disney cruise it was once in a life time because of the price.

[cinderbella]

Originally Posted by Cosmicwaves

P.S...My avatar is me enjoying a "Drink of the Day" on the deck of the Carnival Legend. Don't ask me what was in the drink, but it was fruity, strong, and delish!

let's talk about these cocktails. Are they free?

[Cosmicwaves]

Originally Posted by cinderbella

let's talk about these cocktails. Are they free?

hahahaha! You're funny!
No seriously...drinks and shore excursions are pretty much the only things on a cruise that are not included. The prices are not horrible...similar to going to a bar. That "Drink of the Day" probably cost about $6 or $7...my hubby got a beer every night at dinner, and that was about $4 each.

[johnkimv]

Plus, Carnival adds $10 per person per day as gratuity. It will be on your card that you use for purchasing- kinda like your KTTWC.

Take note though that each cruise offers one formal evening and the 7 day or longer can offer 2 or more. Formal evenings = free liquor!! Drink as much as you can in 1 hour and feel GREAT the rest of the night- at least that is what I do!!

[cinderbella]

So basically in the price..food and regular drinks are included along with all the shows and stuff? Is the formal night included?

We would probably do a small cruise because we've never been on one before and if we hate it or get sea sick we would probably be miserable. There are some cheap Carnival ones for about $300 a person plus fees and stuff..that's blowing my mind because the cheapest Disney one was about $1200

[jk8]

Bella,

I chose DCL because of DS and the fact that I love Disney. I also love the family themed shows as I am on the conservative side. There are adult type shows on DCL I just did not go to them.

However, at your age and without kids I would say it would be fine to have your first cruise not be Disney. You will have a great time either place. But, I'm afraid once you go Disney you won't want to try any others. At least that is the case for me anyway.

[leslieh]

Bella- funny you should ask... I bought DVC at Bay Lake Towers instead of the Disney cruise I was planning for next spring! I figured the $6000 would be better spent towards 50 years of MK views for us.

I have cruised on Princess, Norwegian and Holland America and enjoyed them all... I wouldn't suggest HA for a young couple- as it's an "older" crowd. My 78 year old friend even thought so

[2nd Star]

I have only done Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I like Carnival better but that maybe cause the ship was newer. I would like to do a Disney cruise one day. I know when I look at the price of a Disney cruise I say I can stay in a suite on Carnival.

[nitaworm]

Well the truth is .. I loved it..my DH didn't.

My DH's complaint (he is a NON-DISNEY Lover ) is that the cruise has no other entertainment but Disney entertainment. He said he went to the bar, the adults only clubs and the place was a ghost town. The highlight of his trip was Bingo! He liked the room size, the service, and the food, but insisted that this year we do Carnival.

What I liked - the Disney Shows, the food, the service, CASTAWAY CAY -- I mean my DH walked from the boat to the shopping area in his white socks and they STAYED white! I also liked the parties, fireworks on the boat, and the fact that Mickey came from of the top of the boat to the stage...amazing. I loved the Castoff Party...and to me a Disney lover, I was in paradize at Castaway Cay. My kids absolutely loved it.

This year we are doing a 5 day Carnival for less than the 3-day cruise we took on Disney (and I booked it 2 years in advance and got 2 inside rooms). On Carnival I got 1 balcony room and 1 inside room. (I have 4 kids).

So...if $$ is an issue..do Carnival. If you want to try out Disney...book it 2 years in advance, an inside room (they will most likely give you a free upgrade), and just get your feet warm with a 3-day cruise. Its one of those things ya wanna do at least once.

[LURK]

DW and I have done one cruise in all our years - Carnival Fantasy last decade for our honeymoon. We thought it was great.