I want to do it, but....

Oh, and I should also add that Castaway Cay > Labadee, but at the end of the day a private island/peninsula is a private island/peninsula, and I can't truly complain much about that.
 
On DCL, there's interaction with characters that actually talk. The character breakfast is free for kids (The Royal one is not that great, so you're not missing anything tbh). But I think that, for the most part (and this would go for other cruise lines as well), there's really not much difference in the "free" amenities.

There's also the rotational dining, but realistically it's not that much different from having different daily meals in the same dining room.

Perhaps a significant thing is that on DCL, you can bring a 6-pack or 2 bottles of wine aboard per person, per port of call. On Royal, you can bring aboard 2 bottles of wine per stateroom (not strictly enforced) during initial embarkation only. DCL does charge $25 for corkage, Royal $15, although on my cruise in August they didn't charge us. YMMV there.

Kids clubs are slightly different. Adventure Ocean (usually) splits the kids into groups by age (3-5, 6-8, 9-11). Registration process is much the same as on DCL.


So here's the thing - I think there are more opportunities to spend your money on Royal vs. DCL. If there's a sale on the Promenade, you can't help but notice it, whereas there's a chance that you may not even get within breathing distance of the shop on DCL. DCL has only two specialty restaurants, while Royal's boats, generally speaking, have AT LEAST two specialty restaurants. So most definitely, a higher percentage of food options on Royal do cost extra (compared to DCL), but don't think of it as "MDR and buffet are free, everything else costs money".

There are, of course, the ubiquitous drink packages. I think DCL might be the only cruise line that doesn't have an unlimited alcohol package. It is what it is.

And let's not forget the casino - perhaps the Exhibit A of places on board that costs money. I like (non-smoking areas of) casinos, but I do applaud DCL for not having one on board their boats.


With shows, if you're on Oasis class you'll be able to book showtimes online about 90 days out from your cruise (works like FastPass+ in that regard), and for those there are at least 3 times to choose from. There may be other shows that are available on a first come, first served basis.

The website can be a pain, btw.

I wasn't meaning that RCCL didn't offer what Disney does as far as whats included. But as you pointed out they have more opportunities to spend additional. That is what I am worried about. That every time I turn around my kids will be wanting things /activities/food that cost extra. Doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do that doesn't but kids always seem to find the stuff that isn't and think its better! I was just wondering how easy/hard it was to avoid those things or if it was kind of in your face.
 
The “free” soda on Disney doesn’t really seem that great with RC is giving as free premium drinks package on our symphony of the seas cruise next year

If anything I’ll be spending less on RC in extras than Disney now
 
If you are not a shopper, there are not that many additional things to purchase for kids. As noted above, a small fee for character dining. There is an arcade but we avoid it with the 8 and 4 year old. You may not even walk in to the cupcake place, it is a small store on the boardwalk area. The other thing you may pay for is late night at kids club at $7 per hour per kid from 10pm to 2am. I have sailed 9 times on DCL and 30 times on RCCl and I have a hard time justifying the cost on DCL compared to the overall value of RCCL Oasis class ships. Also noted above, you could do most pay events for your child and still have incredible savings over the same DCL voyage.
 


I wasn't meaning that RCCL didn't offer what Disney does as far as whats included. But as you pointed out they have more opportunities to spend additional. That is what I am worried about. That every time I turn around my kids will be wanting things /activities/food that cost extra. Doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do that doesn't but kids always seem to find the stuff that isn't and think its better! I was just wondering how easy/hard it was to avoid those things or if it was kind of in your face.
How old are your kids? Unless they’re reading the daily activity schedule they probably wouldn’t even know about the cupcake decorating/jewelry making type of activities. As far as the kids wanting the food that is upcharged, that’s just unrealistic as they are all sit down type restaurants. And the shopping places on the promenade are mostly high end perfume, cosmetic, purses, etc type of places. Honestly on our cruise, the only extras I spent money on were internet, alcohol, and an upcharge restaurant twice for my husband and I.
 
When I said kids activities being a charge I was referring to things I had read about like cupcake decorating, jewelry making, etc. So maybe I was wrong to say kids since they are probably for everyone.

Are the activities like rock wall climbing, flow rider, ice skating, things like that just come when you want and stand in line or do you have to sign up for them to get specific times once onboard?


Yes classes are extra. If you don't tell your kids about cupcake classes and things like that they probably won't know they exist.

There are some free crafts that the kids do in the kid club. I don't recall everything. I know my daughter has a pillowcase that she made in the kids club. She also won a few things like stuffed animals.
 
I wasn't meaning that RCCL didn't offer what Disney does as far as whats included. But as you pointed out they have more opportunities to spend additional. That is what I am worried about. That every time I turn around my kids will be wanting things /activities/food that cost extra. Doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do that doesn't but kids always seem to find the stuff that isn't and think its better! I was just wondering how easy/hard it was to avoid those things or if it was kind of in your face.
Ah, I misunderstood a bit.

I think it's pretty easy to avoid these things. On Harmony, we passed by the arcade A LOT, as it was close to the kids splash area. Never went in. Kids wanted ice cream, but they were happy with the free soft serve and the ice cream at dinner.

As far as the kids wanting the food that is upcharged, that’s just unrealistic as they are all sit down type restaurants.
You can order appys at Sabor, or go to the ice cream parlor or go to Starbucks/Promenade cafe and get a coffee beverage without the flat upcharge. So while it's unlikely, it's not entirely out of the question. Best solution, to be honest, is to disable their spending privileges when doing the online check-in. But then again my kids are young enough so they wouldn't even question why they can't buy anything with their cards. In about 2-3 years... oy.
 


FYI Sabor has changed to a $19 flat fee on some ships.

I've never had a problem with my kids and spending. When they were younger I disabled their spending. Now that they teens I give them a limit. They really don't spend much. On our last cruise I think they bought Ben and Jerrys' once and went to Johnny Rocket's once.
 
I'll add that the only extras that we purchased on our last cruise were
  • soda package for DH
  • character breakfast for our family of 4
  • a few glasses of wine or alcoholic drink during the cruise (but we brought 2 bottles of wine on board that lasted a couple dinners)
  • one excursion
  • a couple games at the arcade
For our upcoming cruise, we got a boardwalk room which has a current promotion that includes
  • 2 soda packages
  • meal for 4 at Johnny Rockets
Central Park rooms have a different kind of per with a complimentary lunch at speciality restaurant and bottle of wine
 
FYI Sabor has changed to a $19 flat fee on some ships.
I've never had a problem with my kids and spending. When they were younger I disabled their spending. Now that they teens I give them a limit. They really don't spend much. On our last cruise I think they bought Ben and Jerrys' once and went to Johnny Rocket's once.
Yeah they switched to a flat fee on Harmony, but IIRC you can still go to the bar area and order food there. Or maybe that's just during happy hour, in which case I don't think they can get the margarita/snack combos...
 
I'm like so many of you and am wanting to book RCL but as a DCL addict I am just having a hard time committing. However, with their current promotions it would save my family nearly $3500 on a 7 day cruise. It's the same dates, same itinerary. If we cruise RCL it will be the Oasis class.

My kids are 10 & 5 (will be 11 & 6 at time of cruise). They love the Disney kids clubs.

I'm an extreme researcher and have spent countless hours reading reviews, looking at photos, and trying to make sure I'm making the best decision.

Advice? Tips? Help! :-)

I'm late to the party... I would say: do not hesitate. I remember how scared I was of booking with Carnival after two DCL cruises. Now matter how hard Carnival fans were trying to convince me that I would have a good time, I was not 100% convinced and I was expecting the worst.

In the end, some things DCL did better, some other things Carnival did better... I have no regrets and it opened my horizon to a whole new world and experience. We are booked on the Anthem of the Seas next year and I can't wait to discover RCCL. :)
 
I have the opposite problem. When it comes to cruising I'm addicted to RCCL. Every time I go to book, I look into DCL and try to convince myself to pony up 2x the $$. I'm sure its awesome, but I know that I have SUCH a good time on RCCL that I can't make myself do it! I imagine it's like this: You can spend $150 on a steak or $30 on a steak depending on the restaurant. The $150 has to be better right (it is), but if you get the $30 steak your still eating steak. Better than the boiled grocery store hotdog that is Carnival :) Not trying to sound like a jerk. Carnival is still a cruise where a good-time can be had by all, but I feel like the difference between RCCL and DCL can't possibly be as wide as the gap between Carnival and most other cruiselines. Ok my ramble has taken a turn. Bottom line, you will like RCCL.

I like Carnival just as much as DCL... I'm confused. :confused3
 
I like Carnival just as much as DCL... I'm confused. :confused3
Absolutely nothing wrong with that! I enjoyed the Carnival cruise I was on; it was my first cruise. Maybe I'm not comparing apples to apples, but my second cruise was 5-6 years later on a much newer RCCL ship and I was like
giphy-facebook_s.jpg
. I haven't looked back since, maybe I should


Also, on several RCCL cruises I've noticed differences while in port. For example we were moored in Grand Cayman along with with a 2-3 other cruiselines including Carnival. Each ship had contracted 3-4 tenders to keep the traffic flowing to and from the dock. Carnival had 1. Standing in line in the midday sun to return to the ship, I was given a cool towel and free water, and the line was moving pretty quickly. I looked over at the very stagnant Carnival line and they looked so miserable.

Again, maybe this is not a typical situation, but it certainly stuck with me. Like I said before, any cruise can be a great time, but I just have my preferences. Don't get me wrong, things can go wrong on any ship. I think I was on Norwegian once and the hot water broke down for a little over a day so they just gave everyone open bar. I guess if everyone is drunk nobody minds the b.o.? lol, I'm not trying to bash :)
 
I'd do it in a heartbeat at that cost difference. That is literally a boatload of money. We last year went on our first RCCL cruise after going on several DCL cruises in a row, so we were in the same boat as you with concerns. We all had a blast, kids had SO much more to do on the RCCL ship. There were pros and cons of each for sure. We didn't find that there were any more upsells of things on RCCL compared to DCL, even DCL charges you for some classes and tastings etc. And even though we had the kids do the cupcake decorating classs(made really cuts dogs) and we let them get Ben and Jerrys almost daily, we still saved around $1800 from a similar DCL cruise.
 
I just got home from my 8th Disney cruise and now planning for our RCCL Oasis cruise in April. I have looked at other cruise lines for years, but could not steer away from the mouse. I booked the RCCL cruise in August with kids sail free deal and it was $3000 for balcony cabin. The same cruise for DCL is running over $7000. My kids were very hesitant, but we are paying, so they'll have to suffer through it! I am sure we will have a blast and going with an open mind. I can't imagine it being anything, but fun...at this rate we would be able to cruise more often if we shake things up with cheaper cruises!
 
We did four Disney cruises in a row and then last year, we decided to give Royal a try.
The two reasons we decided to switch were: price and the fact that our kids were losing interest in the kids club on DCL ("too babyish" and "boring")
One very positive thing about RCCL is that our girls LOVED the kids club (we were on Oasis of the Seas). They enjoyed the organized activities (like sports) and they enjoyed that ages were more separate so they were with kids in their age range - unlike Disney where it's age 3-12!!
Unfortunately, they did not meet the height requirement or weight requirement to try the zip line or Flow Rider but that is no one's fault.
Overall, we do like DCL more and we will go back. But, I felt like it was nice to try something new and I loved how much money we saved.
I would say go for it!
 
I understand how you feel. My TA continually asked me to try RCL but I refused, however when some friends booked a RCL (Anthem of the Seas) and asked me to book as well I did. For me the two most important things I love about DCL is the service and entertainment which RCL fell short of meeting those DCL standards. Nevertheless, they had plenty of activities not only for the kids but for families and adults as well. The RCL ship I sailed on (Anthem of the Seas) had bumper cars, roller skating, virtual surfing, rock wall, virtual skydiving and more. The ship was actually beautiful with all sorts of innovative and entertaining things around the ship such as the robot bar, touch screen maps, virtual balcony (in my stateroom), and 270 Robo Screens to name a few (I can't wait to see what DCL does with their new ship). I also enjoyed the numerous paid restaurants on board the ship as well which I felt was better than the MDR. I don't have any kids so I can't compare the kids clubs. The big factor was the cost of this RCL 12 day cruise was cheaper than a 7 day DCL cruise. Now I will not give up cruising with Disney and it will always be my cruise of choice but I was glad I tried RCL and I suggest you consider it as well.
 
I have a few thoughts. We have done both DCL and RCI. We have also done a few trips with NCL. RCI was the only one that made disabling my kids charge privileges tough. Like you can't do it online and you can't do it at check in. You must go stand in the REALLY long line at guest services once you board, and they told me there was no way to disable the ability to charge in the arcade. I issued strong warnings that they were not to put their cards in a machine for any reason!!

The other consideration for your oldest is his height and weight. 52 inches is the minimum for flow rider and #70 is the minimum for the zip line. My son made it at almost 11 by the hair on his head. We put off oasis class ships along time to make sure he was tall enough. You younger one will have fewer options so depending on his temperament, that may be a problem to consider. I can not justify the cost of DCL. Our last trip was last minute and Oasis was $1900 and Disney was almost $4000. It simply isn't that much better.

RCI was also the only ship that didn't have Ice Cream available most of the time. The soft serve machines were only on from 11-6. I did buy Ice Cream one night after dinner for mine but they were able to split a $3 medium so it was pretty reasonable. I would not eat at Johnny Rockets again. It was not good at all. Other than that, we enjoyed the ship and booked on-board for another sailing.
 
I have a few thoughts. We have done both DCL and RCI. We have also done a few trips with NCL. RCI was the only one that made disabling my kids charge privileges tough. Like you can't do it online and you can't do it at check in. You must go stand in the REALLY long line at guest services once you board, and they told me there was no way to disable the ability to charge in the arcade....


The last time I checked in online, I was able to enter my credit card number and then select which guests were allowed to use it. I selected my wife. Then I clicked on one of my children and there were 3 options: Enter a Credit Card, Pay with Cash at the end, or Disable Charging to this SeaPass. I selected the 'disable' option, and set the other daughter's SeaPass to the same setting.

Maybe they wised up and added this to the online check in?
 
The last time I checked in online, I was able to enter my credit card number and then select which guests were allowed to use it. I selected my wife. Then I clicked on one of my children and there were 3 options: Enter a Credit Card, Pay with Cash at the end, or Disable Charging to this SeaPass. I selected the 'disable' option, and set the other daughter's SeaPass to the same setting.
I was able to do this online on Allure in 2014, as well as recently on Harmony. Since pp noted it was a last minute trip, there could have been some online issues specific to that.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top