Thinking of trying RCCL instead of DCL, info please

mikewdw

wdw coach
Joined
Jan 1, 2002
just thinking of trying a different line than DCL if we could find one for a good savings
our situation is 5 people, 2 adults, 3kids (14, 12, 12) . We really can only go for about 7-10 days in late may or early june. its difficult trying to price it on website with 5 (have call)
We love DCL but we have already done their western & eastern carribean itinerary.
is RCC an option for us or is that time about the same price wise? especially considering the size of rooms, we have always done balcony on DCL

any info appreciated
mikewdw
 
I am a grandma who has never been on DCL but know I would love it! I was on the Allure last June and you would all love it!!! We are going on the Harmony in April- I was with all adults but could definitely see how kids-especially the age of yours would love it!!! Good luck with the prices- don't know what you can afford but the Suites look great! We were and will be in a Boardwalk balcony! I know they have promos for kids sail free- it would be nice if you could just pay for 1 adult in each room but I don't know if that's possible! Give RC a try- oasis class- and happy sailing!!
 
just thinking of trying a different line than DCL if we could find one for a good savings
our situation is 5 people, 2 adults, 3kids (14, 12, 12) . We really can only go for about 7-10 days in late may or early june. its difficult trying to price it on website with 5 (have call)
We love DCL but we have already done their western & eastern carribean itinerary.
is RCC an option for us or is that time about the same price wise? especially considering the size of rooms, we have always done balcony on DCL

any info appreciated
mikewdw
Go to cruisecritic.com and read up on the individual ships and ports they sail from. There are so many more choices than Disney that you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for. The ages of your kids are better for RCCL than Disney because of many more activity options. Prices should be better as well.
Denise
 
Go to cruisecritic.com and read up on the individual ships and ports they sail from. There are so many more choices than Disney that you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for. The ages of your kids are better for RCCL than Disney because of many more activity options. Prices should be better as well.
Denise


I agree here. My 14 year olds enjoyed RCCL more than DCL due to all the activities. And if you compare apples to apples it will be around $1k-2k cheaper. We all had pros and cons of each. We are doing DCL next April, but really enjoy RCCL as well. Can't really go wrong with either if you have positive attitudes.
 


I tried RCCL (Anthem of the Seas) last year after 8 consecutive Disney Cruises. I cruised for 12 glorious days out of NY and the price to compared to DCL was great. The ship (Anthem of the Seas) also had tons of actives for everyone (rock climbing, virtual skydiving, bumper cars, roller skating, wave machine, etc.). I'm a solo cruiser and decided to book an inside stateroom with a virtual balcony which was great but just a bit smaller compared to an inside stateroom on DCL. I personally felt that the service and entertainment did not compare to DCL which is very important to me. I also did not like the continued sales in the main atrium, upcharge for sodas, large number of smokers on board, and towel monitoring. Don't get me wrong I had a great time and I would sail again on RCCL but my preference is DCL.
 
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I tried RCCL (Anthem of the Seas) last year after 8 consecutive Disney Cruises. I was on a 12 day cruise out of NY and the price to compared to DCL was great. The ship (Anthem of the Seas) also had tons of actives for everyone (rock climbing, virtual skydiving, bumper cars, roller skating, wave machine, etc.). I'm a solo cruiser and stayed in an inside stateroom with a virtual balcony which was great but smaller compared to an inside stateroom on DCL. I personally felt that the service and entertainment did not compare to DCL which is important to me. I also did not like the continued sales in the main atrium, uncharge for sodas, large number of smokers on board, and towel monitoring. Don't get me wrong I had a great time and I would sail again on RCCL but my preference is DCL.
I also took a 12 day Anthem cruise last year and I found it compared favorably to Disney (I have been on 8 DCL cruises, including a Panama Canal cruise and a Transatlantic cruise). We loved it and will sail RCCL again. DCL was our first cruiseline (we cruised on the 6th Magic cruise in 1998) and we have observed the changes they made over the years. DCL used to charge for soda too, just like other cruise lines. It took them a while to catch up to other cruise lines. I have had just as many issues on DCL as I do on RCCL, Celebrity, and Carnival (all lines I have cruised on). Everyone can make their own decision.
Denise
 
Our family of 5 loved DCL but fell in love with the panoramic ocean view room on RC. Kids also liked the kids club better on RC.
The biggest downer for us was the smell of smoke in the vicinity of the casino.
My oldest says she prefers RC.
 


just thinking of trying a different line than DCL if we could find one for a good savings
our situation is 5 people, 2 adults, 3kids (14, 12, 12) . We really can only go for about 7-10 days in late may or early june. its difficult trying to price it on website with 5 (have call)
We love DCL but we have already done their western & eastern carribean itinerary.
is RCC an option for us or is that time about the same price wise? especially considering the size of rooms, we have always done balcony on DCL

any info appreciated
mikewdw

2 cabins on Royal will be LESS expensive than one on Disney( or even one family cabin on Royal). options include : connecting( interior door) Promenade cabins that look out over the main shopping district with picture windows. Balcony cabins that face either the ocean or the interior or the ship( depending on ship class). or a Balcony for the adults and an interior across the hall for the kids.

yes the cabins on Royal tend to be smaller versus a comparable category in Disney. but by splitting it up into 2 you get twice the bathroom space.. that alone is worth it.

the kids programming is comparable. the food, in my opinion, is better on Royal( not counting Palo) the shows are better on Disney. I found the attitude and friendliness of the staff on Royal to be much more relaxed. the Disney staff felt 'snooty' to me.
 
2 cabins on Royal will be LESS expensive than one on Disney( or even one family cabin on Royal). options include : connecting( interior door) Promenade cabins that look out over the main shopping district with picture windows. Balcony cabins that face either the ocean or the interior or the ship( depending on ship class). or a Balcony for the adults and an interior across the hall for the kids.

yes the cabins on Royal tend to be smaller versus a comparable category in Disney. but by splitting it up into 2 you get twice the bathroom space.. that alone is worth it.

the kids programming is comparable. the food, in my opinion, is better on Royal( not counting Palo) the shows are better on Disney. I found the attitude and friendliness of the staff on Royal to be much more relaxed. the Disney staff felt 'snooty' to me.


I agree whole heartedly with this. I have sailed DCL on 5 occasions and RCCl 20+ times. We always sail in connecting rooms, unless they run the kids sail free program and opt for a larger room or suite. It is always more cost effective than a DCL cruise in single cabin. Although, your children might be too old for kids sail free....I think 12 is the limit. Late May is also a great time for discounts as children are not quite finished with school. Good luck. I don't think you will be disappointed. The 2 things I dislike about RCCl kids clubs are that they have areas based on ages and they don't mix groups....so can be difficult if you have kids close in age and also they have 2 or 3 hour sessions and then times when they are closed before and after sessions unlike a contestant open onboard DCL.
 
Im leaning towards RCCL as well. I have a deposit on a Disney Fantasy May 2018 but RCCL has kids sail free and BOGO right now. I can get the same category room, same sail date, same length of cruise, and almost the same ports of call for $3100 less. It really seems like a no brainer but I am hesitant. The kids are 7 and 9. What they loved most about the Disney cruises we have done in the past is the pool and the kids club. They could care less about the shows or the characters. Personally, I have sailed Disney and Carnival for reference.
So tell me how the kids clubs work?
Someone above mentioned "towel monitoring"- what do you mean? Like if you leave your stuff on a lounger too long they remove it?
I know RCCL offers a fair amount of specialty dining. Would you feel like you are missing out by eating in the main dining room and buffet only?
Formal Night: Exactly how formal? I dont own nor do I want to purchase a formal gown. Is a black cocktail dress acceptable? The girls, Im sure can still wear a princess costume and be considered formal. (sneaking Disney in a little)
The pool area- The pictures I have seen look like there is a lot more to offer. What are your thoughts? Looking at the Allure of the Seas.
The soda or lack of isnt that much of a game changer. We would just buy the package or do without. We dont drink that much soda at home.
And any other positive/negatives you can recall.
 
Im leaning towards RCCL as well. I have a deposit on a Disney Fantasy May 2018 but RCCL has kids sail free and BOGO right now. I can get the same category room, same sail date, same length of cruise, and almost the same ports of call for $3100 less. It really seems like a no brainer but I am hesitant. The kids are 7 and 9. What they loved most about the Disney cruises we have done in the past is the pool and the kids club. They could care less about the shows or the characters. Personally, I have sailed Disney and Carnival for reference.
So tell me how the kids clubs work?
Someone above mentioned "towel monitoring"- what do you mean? Like if you leave your stuff on a lounger too long they remove it?
I know RCCL offers a fair amount of specialty dining. Would you feel like you are missing out by eating in the main dining room and buffet only?
Formal Night: Exactly how formal? I dont own nor do I want to purchase a formal gown. Is a black cocktail dress acceptable? The girls, Im sure can still wear a princess costume and be considered formal. (sneaking Disney in a little)
The pool area- The pictures I have seen look like there is a lot more to offer. What are your thoughts? Looking at the Allure of the Seas.
The soda or lack of isnt that much of a game changer. We would just buy the package or do without. We dont drink that much soda at home.
And any other positive/negatives you can recall.

I can't speak for the kid activities and clubs but

"towel monitoring" you check out a towel on the pool deck and then check it back in with your key card - not a big deal to me

I was on a smaller class RCL ship (Rhapsody) but ate buffet most of the time with occasional main dining room - won't miss out at all not spending extra money - i am a picky eater but the buffet was awesome for me

formal, a dress is fine, doesn't need to be a ball gown or anything like that

dont know about pools or Allure

as for drinks, on Rhapsody, that had flavored (no calorie) water that was soooooo good I found a way to buy it at home so I feel the cruise at home LOL
 
So tell me how the kids clubs work?
Someone above mentioned "towel monitoring"- what do you mean? Like if you leave your stuff on a lounger too long they remove it?
I know RCCL offers a fair amount of specialty dining. Would you feel like you are missing out by eating in the main dining room and buffet only?
Formal Night: Exactly how formal? I dont own nor do I want to purchase a formal gown. Is a black cocktail dress acceptable? The girls, Im sure can still wear a princess costume and be considered formal. (sneaking Disney in a little)
The pool area- The pictures I have seen look like there is a lot more to offer. What are your thoughts? Looking at the Allure of the Seas.
The soda or lack of isnt that much of a game changer. We would just buy the package or do without. We dont drink that much soda at home.
And any other positive/negatives you can recall.

The kids clubs on Royal Caribbean are called Adventure Ocean are separated into groups... Generally, 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-18 I think. They are not open all day, Like Disney. The hours are 9AM-12PM, 2PM-5PM, 7PM-10PM. While we have never done this, I believe you may sign up ahead of time to keep your kids in the club during the lunch and dinner breaks. I've seen signs for this, but I never really looked into it and I don't know if there is a cost associated with it. There is a late-hours option... 10PM until whatever time they close (midnight or 1AM, maybe?). The late night option is $7/hour per child..... My son really loves the programming on Royal Caribbean. They do seem to keep the kids busy, and have planned activities around a certain theme for each time block. I remember on one cruise, when he was 4, it was a circus theme and his face was painted like a tiger when we picked him up!
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/conte...ids&pagenameMain=main_family&discriminators=2

Here is a link to Adventure Ocean Daily Planners
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compasses/adventure-of-the-seas/mon-2017-04-17-0000

As someone else said, the towel monitoring is simply scanning your card to get towels, and then they scan your card again once you've returned them. It's a slight annoyance over just grabbing towels whenever you want on DCL, but it's not a huge deal. It is annoying when they only have one towel station open for some reason, and you walk the whole pool deck trying to find it! for this reason, we always get new towels when we leave the pool, so that way if we do a late night swim we always have a clean towel without searching for one!

I wear a dress to formal night, something that'd I'd wear to a wedding. My husband has started just wearing a button up shirt and tie. Some people still dress up (tuxes, etc.), and many still wear suits and fancy dresses. A good portion, like me and my husband, are making an attempt to look nicer. For us, we really don't want to pack fancy clothes (and a suit takes up a lot of room in the suitcase!) You will find people that don't dress up at all, and may even wear jeans into the dining room. sometimes, if we are doing specialty dining, we will schedule the specialty dining on formal night (because the specialty restaurants don't follow the formal dining rotation.)

Allure does have lots of different pool options! The chairs still get full on sea days, of course, but it's not "human soup" in the pools like it is on DCL!

The soda is not an issue for us either. I typically drink water or lemonade. Both are available in the buffet, along with Crystal Light-type beverages. My husband likes the occasional Coca-Cola, and will just buy a can a few times during the cruise. (Actually, we're Diamond now, so he just gets it during Happy Hour in the Diamond Lounge! :rotfl:)

The specialty dining options are nice, but they are getting more and more expensive! We've done cruises where we don't do specialty dining at all, and on cruises where we had a lot of onboard credit we pretty much do only specialty dining! The dining room menu changes every night, so you'll still be able to experience lots of nice options!
 
I had been a DCL fan for a long time but finances dictated otherwise. I just could not afford the "luxury" of going on DCL. RCCL offered me an opportunity to sail more often and at less of a cost. There is a difference between the lines.

On DCL, there was not a casino. Personally, I can do without one and all the smoking that a casino brings with it. I always steer clear of the casinos on RCCL ships. On DCL, I thought the shows were of a higher caliber but, then again, I really like Disney shows. What can I say? :) On DCL, they have rotational dining. I really enjoyed going to the different dining rooms and the experiences that came with each of them while retaining the same wait staff.

On RCCL, the My Time Dining option is a real winner. I lock in my time and request the same table so that I get to know my wait staff. Sure, I do not rotate to different dining rooms that way but the service is excellent. The food is very good as well. I do not generally go to the specialty restaurants. However, if you are a fan of specialty restaurants, RCCL has DCL beat as they have so many more options. While the shows are not "Disney" shows, the are high caliber. On the transatlantic last year, I saw Grease and it was just as good as any land-based version of the show. RCCL, especially on their larger ships, have so much more to do and can deliver it at a lower price than DCL. I also think that RCCL beats DCL on the boarding and disembarking process. They have been much smoother.

Personally, I am hoping that with the addition of newer, and slightly larger, ships, DCL's prices might come down some and I can board again one day. I miss the experience but cannot afford their prices. While I'm now "loyal to Royal" that is only because of the cost benefit. I have cruised Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Disney, and Royal. I have enjoyed my experience on each of the lines. For me, the bottom line really is affordability. Each person has their own reasons for cruising a certain line or not. As long as you enjoy the line you are on, keep going. If you are interested in giving others a try, go for it.
 
just thinking of trying a different line than DCL if we could find one for a good savings
our situation is 5 people, 2 adults, 3kids (14, 12, 12) . We really can only go for about 7-10 days in late may or early june. its difficult trying to price it on website with 5 (have call)
We love DCL but we have already done their western & eastern carribean itinerary.
is RCC an option for us or is that time about the same price wise? especially considering the size of rooms, we have always done balcony on DCL

any info appreciated
mikewdw
Hey,

We made a YouTube video with an overview of Royal Carribean.


We too were only Disney cruisers when we first sailed so if you have any questions let me know.
 
just thinking of trying a different line than DCL if we could find one for a good savings
our situation is 5 people, 2 adults, 3kids (14, 12, 12) . We really can only go for about 7-10 days in late may or early june. its difficult trying to price it on website with 5 (have call)
We love DCL but we have already done their western & eastern carribean itinerary.
is RCC an option for us or is that time about the same price wise? especially considering the size of rooms, we have always done balcony on DCL

any info appreciated
mikewdw

i highly recommend the allure of the seas....a great ship for the whole family..
presumably the oasis and harmony are equally good, but of the 3, i've only been on the allure....a really fun ship!!!

and by the way, we're very much disney cruise people....but the allure is too much fun to miss!!

.
 
I also did not like the continued sales in the main atrium, uncharge for sodas, large number of smokers on board, and towel monitoring.

Woo for towel monitoring! Assuming you mean employees were watching for people who put towels out at 7am
in primo spots and don't show up to use them until 2pm.

But even the checking out of towels I don't mind.

the kids programming is comparable. the food, in my opinion, is better on Royal( not counting Palo) the shows are better on Disney. I found the attitude and friendliness of the staff on Royal to be much more relaxed. the Disney staff felt 'snooty' to me.

I think kids programming is better on Royal (well, ds does, and he's who counts), food is equal (we're vegetarian), only shows I like are magic shows, and I like the staff on Royal better. I noticed the snootiness too, and I just can't figure out why they would be that way.

I can get the same category room, same sail date, same length of cruise, and almost the same ports of call for $3100 less. It really seems like a no brainer but I am hesitant.

No brainer to me.

Ds says dcl plays "Gagaball" wrong. Royal does it correctly. This is important to him. :) He likes how the Royal counselors were more interactive. He felt that Disney counselors just allow kids to play randomly without interaction. Being an extrovert only child who is homeschooled, he doesn't mind adult interactions.

He likes the split in ages on Royal, though now he's in the teen room and he felt too young for it. But none of us mind if he hangs out with us. So that was ok.

Pools aren't heated like in Disney but they are bigger and better. Not the tiny squares of people-soup like on Disney.
 
Woo for towel monitoring! Assuming you mean employees were watching for people who put towels out at 7am in primo spots and don't show up to use them until 2pm.

But even the checking out of towels I don't mind.

I wish the staff where watching for people who put towels out at primo spots and keeping them all day. I meant the checking out of towels.
 

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