CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[we"reofftoneverland]

So my jaw just dropped I can get almost same dates I have on dcl for 1k less in a “grand master suite” on the carnival liberty. So where’s do they get “get you” so to speak?

If you are asking why is it so inexpensive... I would argue that DCL is the outlier, DCL is the expensive line. All other lines in the same class are less expensive than Disney. If you love Disney, you will miss it if you take another line, but probably not enough to justify the price. But your kids will probably not miss Disney. Lol.

 

[RedSox68]

If you are asking why is it so inexpensive... I would argue that DCL is the outlier, DCL is the expensive line. All other lines in the same class are less expensive than Disney. If you love Disney, you will miss it if you take another line, but probably not enough to justify the price. But your kids will probably not miss it. Lol.

We have been able to get 2-3 cruises on other lines for the price we would have paid for one Disney cruise. Once we took the leap and got our footing, we never looked back. I have yet to be able to afford another Disney cruise. Our last one was in 2014, but had been booked 12 months out. We look (with hope) every year that an itinerary we are interested in will open up at a price we can afford (and justify), but it isn't happening and I don't see that changing any time soon

 

[skittlesfirehawk]

If you are asking why is it so inexpensive... I would argue that DCL is the outlier, DCL is the expensive line. All other lines in the same class are less expensive than Disney. If you love Disney, you will miss it if you take another line, but probably not enough to justify the price. But your kids will probably not miss Disney. Lol.

Have no kids but am a Disney addict.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Have no kids but am a Disney addict.

So you will miss it. And since you do not have kids, the price difference may not be as huge. Our first cruise with Carnival was about $6000 for an 8 night southern caribbean (aruba, etc) where we had a balcony and a window cabin. Same week with Disney with 2 inside cabins on an Eastern Caribbean 7 night was about $13000. We figured Carnival was worth a try! Everyone loved it! But I get the Disney touches. I am a Disney nut and love all things Disney. We go to the parks at least once a year, so I get my fix there. It also helps if you can travel off season with DCL.

 

[cruiser21]

There is a lot we love about dcl, but we have found some snobbery on dcl and it was really nice to get away from it when we tried other cruise lines. We do not find that attitude at WDW or DL. That is just our perspective.

What do you mean by snobbery?

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

What do you mean by snobbery?

If you do not see it, I am hesitant to go on about it and ruin dcl for you!

 

[cruiser21]

My only reservation besides not getting the quality and same level of service Disney provides is every time the cruise industry is in the news it’s almost always something horrible has happened like the whole ship getting noro and it’s carnival

Why would they report on a normal sailing? That would not be news worthy.

 

[cruiser21]

If you do not see it, I am hesitant to go on about it and ruin dcl for you!

I didn't say I didn't see it. I was just curious how you defined it. I like to get other peoples take on things. My opinion about something would never be ruined by someone elses opinion.

 

[mevelandry]

Have no kids but am a Disney addict.

Oh well, you have a lot of reasons to be optimistic, then. Excluding all Disney, the "cruising part" needs can easily be met in other and/or cheaper cruise lines. Also, one thing I appreciate of cheaper cruise lines is that they will offer options to upgrade pretty much everything (food, drinks, rooms, etc.) and it's still going to be less expensive than DCL.

 

[mevelandry]

So you will miss it. And since you do not have kids, the price difference may not be as huge. Our first cruise with Carnival was about $6000 for an 8 night southern caribbean (aruba, etc) where we had a balcony and a window cabin. Same week with Disney with 2 inside cabins on an Eastern Caribbean 7 night was about $13000. We figured Carnival was worth a try! Everyone loved it! But I get the Disney touches. I am a Disney nut and love all things Disney. We go to the parks at least once a year, so I get my fix there. It also helps if you can travel off season with DCL.

We don't have kids but we find the price difference very interesting. If I am not mistaken our Western Caribbean Cruise on the Vista was at least 1000$ less than DCL.

 

[cruiser21]

I'll second what you said about diversity. My DH and I joke a lot about the lack of diversity of DCL guests. Feeling much more comfortable with the Carnival crowd. I feel more "at home" too.

I also agree with what you said regarding the entertainment. And I would add that parts of the biggest difference for me is that With the exception of alcohol tasting, all entertainment on DCL is Disney themed while there is more variety on Carnival. This is what appeals to us the most.

I haven't noticed the lack of diversity on DCL. I guess I don't pay attention.

I've noticed a difference in the vibe on the ship depending on where you sail out of. If you like friendly people with southern accents sail out of Galveston. My Galveson cruises have been the funnest. Florida lots of kids. Europe is an aloof crowd. NYC a mixture of everything. All my perceptions based on zero fact.

 

[mevelandry]

I haven't noticed the lack of diversity on DCL. I guess I don't pay attention.

I've noticed a difference in the vibe on the ship depending on where you sail out of. If you like friendly people with southern accents sail out of Galveston. My Galveson cruises have been the funnest. Florida lots of kids. Europe is an aloof crowd. NYC a mixture of everything. All my perceptions based on zero fact.

We do not pay a particular attention to that in general... but happened to notice.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I didn't say I didn't see it. I was just curious how you defined it. I like to get other peoples take on things. My opinion about something would never be ruined by someone elses opinion.

Good point. And it is hard to define, that's probably why I bailed! So now I will give it a go... at the risk of offending, and this is just my perspective.... but for me the biggest area is with the kids. And I think my kids picked up on this on their own when they tried Carnival especially. I have never said anything negative to them about dcl. The kids on Carnival are a lot nicer. The kids on DCL (just my opinion) tend to be more self-centered. There was an interaction with a server in the dining room where one of our kids was whining about something and the server was going to run and fix it and I stopped her. I said something like, no, please don't give him what he wants (I don't remember what it was but it was something ridiculous). And the server said you are the first parent on dcl I have encountered to say that. She said dcl parents treat their kids like little princes and princesses. Well, that is not us. We are old school. Lol.
I think other things are clicky on dcl, again just my perspective, the fish extender thing for example, and all the FB stuff before the cruise. It sometimes becomes really obvious to me who is inthe FB group and who isn't. They stick together and get their kids to play together. Well, we are not FB people either. I do not get that on other lines at all. These are not things that make or break my cruise. Not at all. For me it is price. But it does feel very high school over there on dcl and much more grown up out beyond dcl.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We don't have kids but we find the price difference very interesting. If I am not mistaken our Western Caribbean Cruise on the Vista was at least 1000$ less than DCL.

That is a lot.

 

[cruiser21]

Good point. And it is hard to define, that's probably why I bailed! So now I will give it a go... at the risk of offending, and this is just my perspective.... but for me the biggest area is with the kids. And I think my kids picked up on this on their own when they tried Carnival especially. I have never said anything negative to them about dcl. The kids on Carnival are a lot nicer. The kids on DCL (just my opinion) tend to be more self-centered. There was an interaction with a server in the dining room where one of our kids was whining about something and the server was going to run and fix it and I stopped her. I said something like, no, please don't give him what he wants (I don't remember what it was but it was something ridiculous). And the server said you are the first parent on dcl I have encountered to say that. She said dcl parents treat their kids like little princes and princesses. Well, that is not us. We are old school. Lol.
I think other things are clicky on dcl, again just my perspective, the fish extender thing for example, and all the FB stuff before the cruise. It sometimes becomes really obvious to me who is inthe FB group and who isn't. I do not get that on other lines at all. These are not things that make or break my cruise. Not at all. For me it is price. But it does feel very high school over there on dcl and much more grown up out beyond dcl.

I don't get into the FB or fish extender stuff. I'm not on Facebook. I'm a private person when it comes to social media. There's something about having my picture all over the internet that kind of freaks me out. Maybe I'm just too old for that stuff, but my kids tell me Facebook is for old people. LoL. I don't know about the kids. My kids have never complained about it. They have a lot of funny stories, and some interesting takes on the counselors. I try to stay out of the teen drama. We're kind of family that jokes around a lot, were sarcastic, we make fun of one another, and were not particularly PC. I don't think anything really bothers them.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I don't get into the FB or fish extender stuff. I'm not on Facebook. I'm a private person when it comes to social media. There's something about having my picture all over the internet that kind of freaks me out. Maybe I'm just too old for that stuff, but my kids tell me Facebook is for old people. LoL. I don't know about the kids. My kids have never complained about it. They have a lot of funny stories, and some interesting takes on the counselors. I try to stay out of the teen drama. We're kind of family that jokes around a lot, were sarcastic, we make fun of one another, and were not particularly PC. I don't think anything really bothers them.

You sound like us. It isn't that we have not met anyone nice on dcl. We have, definitely.

 

[skittlesfirehawk]

Good point. And it is hard to define, that's probably why I bailed! So now I will give it a go... at the risk of offending, and this is just my perspective.... but for me the biggest area is with the kids. And I think my kids picked up on this on their own when they tried Carnival especially. I have never said anything negative to them about dcl. The kids on Carnival are a lot nicer. The kids on DCL (just my opinion) tend to be more self-centered. There was an interaction with a server in the dining room where one of our kids was whining about something and the server was going to run and fix it and I stopped her. I said something like, no, please don't give him what he wants (I don't remember what it was but it was something ridiculous). And the server said you are the first parent on dcl I have encountered to say that. She said dcl parents treat their kids like little princes and princesses. Well, that is not us. We are old school. Lol.
I think other things are clicky on dcl, again just my perspective, the fish extender thing for example, and all the FB stuff before the cruise. It sometimes becomes really obvious to me who is inthe FB group and who isn't. They stick together and get their kids to play together. Well, we are not FB people either. I do not get that on other lines at all. These are not things that make or break my cruise. Not at all. For me it is price. But it does feel very high school over there on dcl and much more grown up out beyond dcl.

As someone with no kids that has zero affect on me or my cruise. If you have observed anything else not kid related you think is “snobbery” I would honestly be interested to hear it. In 4 cruises I have yet to meet anyone nasty. There was one lady part of a couple who seemed to have her nose in the air but it was fine because after first night we never saw them and I just talked to others at the table. I loved my cruise group. We all hung out together at the sail away party and did a group mixology which was fun. I ended up hanging out with the leader of ours on castaway cay. A few saw me at check in on the terminal and said happy birthday to me.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

As someone with no kids that has zero affect on me or my cruise. If you have observed anything else not kid related you think is “snobbery” I would honestly be interested to hear it. In 4 cruises I have yet to meet anyone nasty. There was one lady part of a couple who seemed to have her nose in the air but it was fine because after first night we never saw them and I just talked to others at the table. I loved my cruise group. We all hung out together at the sail away party and did a group mixology which was fun. I ended up hanging out with the leader of ours on castaway cay. A few saw me at check in on the terminal and said happy birthday to me.

When you say your group, do you mean fb group? There are people who like fb- which is great. And people who do not like fb- which is also great. I am a big supporter of free association, so I have no issue with people forming groups before the cruise. No big deal. It just isn't us. I prefer more open groups.

 

[hdrolfe]

I am really looking forward to my Carnival Magic western cruise in April (along with two nights at Disney!). I have two more I want to book, Horizon 6-night Western in early 2019 and Magic 8-night Southern in early 2020 after it moves to FLL. However I also wanted to get another full week at Disney before kiddo turns 10 at the end of 2019, preferably after Star Wars land opens (though perhaps that is crazy). I need to make more money... or win the lottery! If either Horizon or Magic were out of Port Canaveral we could get a fix by adding on a few days, but with them being Miami and Fort Lauderdale, I'm not sure it's feasible. What to do!

We want to do the Horizon because it goes to Ocho Rios (I know, not everyone is fond of Jamaica, I went there with my parents so many years ago and didn't climb Dunn's, now I regret that and have to go!). We could do a 5-night on Sensation instead, for less money of course, but that brand new ship just seems to appealing! And the 8-night on Magic goes to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Aruba and Curacao. Sounds so amazing!

I had wanted to do a Star Wars cruise for kiddo, but I can do both the other ones for the same price as that one... I just don't know what to do. I want to take all the trips!

 

[mevelandry]

As someone with no kids that has zero affect on me or my cruise. If you have observed anything else not kid related you think is “snobbery” I would honestly be interested to hear it. (...)

For me, it's in the small things... Like people trying to avoid looking at each other in the elevators... The guy who snapped at me, saying "why don't you get in line?" to me because I went to an empty station to pick up something I had forgotten very rapidly while he was apparently waiting for the messiah at the previous station (of course, I had previously checked to make sure that he wasn't waiting for "my" station before I went!)... Or hearing complaints to the staff starting with "I paid X thousands dollars for this cruise, I should have this/access to this!", etc.