Disney vs RCL

[ldo]

Maybe at non-peak times pricing is more similar, but not for us. The pricing difference for spring break (week prior to Easter) has been significant for us. For 2016, 4 persons in OV cabinson Navigator for a 8 day was $2500, 1st day booking for 4 in OV on Wonder for 5 days for same time was $3500, Fantasy 7 day was over $6K. For Easter 2017, 6 day on the Freedom is $2200 vs. thousands more on DCL. If pricing was similar, we would opt for DCL. I also agree with PP's view. There are some cruiselines that I am just too hestitant to book and risk a whole week. With RCCL, it is a known product to us. We know the weakness (IMHO) and plan around them (bring games, pay for a few speciality restaurants). We will decide how 2016 on the NAv is to determine whether we keep the 2017 Freedom or switch to WDW instead.

 

[DnA2010]

Maybe at non-peak times pricing is more similar, but not for us. The pricing difference for spring break (week prior to Easter) has been significant for us. For 2016, 4 persons in OV cabinson Navigator for a 8 day was $2500, 1st day booking for 4 in OV on Wonder for 5 days for same time was $3500, Fantasy 7 day was over $6K. For Easter 2017, 6 day on the Freedom is $2200 vs. thousands more on DCL. If pricing was similar, we would opt for DCL. I also agree with PP's view. There are some cruiselines that I am just too hestitant to book and risk a whole week. With RCCL, it is a known product to us. We know the weakness (IMHO) and plan around them (bring games, pay for a few speciality restaurants). We will decide how 2016 on the NAv is to determine whether we keep the 2017 Freedom or switch to WDW instead.

Agreed- I mean look at our 3 cruises: all 7 day-
Our Oasis cruise was the week after new years so still a fairly busy time- It was $2,985 Canadian for 2 A and DD9- balcony (including gratuity)
Our Freedom cruise was booked last minute and was $1475 CAD for 2 A- ocean view Gt -not including gratuity
Our Fantasy cruise booked on veranda guarantee rate in the lowest season was $3588 US for 2 A, DD10- so around $4700 CAD not including gratuity.

Taking out the Freedom, the Oasis was 1700-2000 (once you include gratuities for the the Fantasy) less than the Fantasy, and that was a great VGT rate at one of the slowest times of the year.

I just quickly priced a Spring Break/March 2017 Western week on Oasis and on Fantasy- this is for 2 A, DD12

Ship Interior OV Veranda
Oasis $2846 $3036 $3301 (Central Park), $3973 (Ocean)
Fantasy $5385 $5469 $5945

Difference: $2539 $2433 $2644, $1972

Dif In Canadian $3571 $3364 $3656, $2726
(I'm from CAN)

So really, a considerable difference in price.

 

[msjprincess]

We're taking a 5 night cruise on IOS Presidents Day 2017. It's costing us $2650 for a family stateroom without gratuities. Soda package for my kids, $82.50.

A 4 night cruise on Wonder that week would be $4827. Granted the room on Wonder is a veranda room and IOS is only an oceanview. But that's still a huge difference for one night less.

IOS comes to $513 per night
Wonder is $1206 per night

 

[SevenWonkas]

I don't have a lot to add that hasn't already been said. Put me in the camp of liking DCL better, but still loving Royal. We also will pay a premium for DCL, but only $500-800 probably. We typically book JS rooms on Royal, and veranda rooms on DCL. We typically sail in the off-season, as our son isn't yet in school, and find that the pricing for those room types is similar for the last couple cruises we've priced (Oasis vs Fantasy). A previous cruiser is correct that JS rooms on Royal are not real suites. It is unfortunate that the OP didn't know that prior to sailing, as I would be disappointed if I thought I'd get concierge service, and then didn't receive it.

On another note, it disappoints me that Royal is moving Enchantment out of Port Canaveral and is replacing it with Majesty. We honestly weren't thrilled with our Enchantment cruise (the poor weather may have contributed), but Majesty is even older. They were going to do some nice updates to Majesty (slides, etc), but now will not be doing that. Maybe they realized that even with updates, it would be really hard to compete with the Dream and decided to spend that money elsewhere.

 

[Richard Brooks]

Yes, Mickey Bars were stocked in the fridge in our stateroom on the Dream ... but then I did mention to shoreside concierge that I would like that before we sailed. I don't think they stock them in all the OOV,OOT,OOR staterooms, by default, unless you ask.
Which brings up a good tip ... Always make a list of the things you'd like, tickets, Palo reservations, excursions, special needs/wants, etc. & communicate them to the shoreside concierge BEFORE your trip ... Disney has always made every effort to please me in the past!

 

[DnA2010]

So Richard, I gotta ask, did you research EOS before you booked it? for the difference in what you paid, I would never consider RCL,but would def have done a BTB on the dream, or 7 day on the Fantasy

 

[disneybass]

So Richard, I gotta ask, did you research EOS before you booked it? for the difference in what you paid, I would never consider RCL,but would def have done a BTB on the dream, or 7 day on the Fantasy

Excellent question. I was thinking the same thing

 

[Robin2017]

Yes, Mickey Bars were stocked in the fridge in our stateroom on the Dream ... but then I did mention to shoreside concierge that I would like that before we sailed. I don't think they stock them in all the OOV,OOT,OOR staterooms, by default, unless you ask.
Which brings up a good tip ... Always make a list of the things you'd like, tickets, Palo reservations, excursions, special needs/wants, etc. & communicate them to the shoreside concierge BEFORE your trip ... Disney has always made every effort to please me in the past!

I am confused.. We have stayed 3 times in concierge on the fantasy. Once in a OV and twice in a Cat T.. They do not have freezers in either of those rooms and the fridges are not cold enough to keep Mickey bars frozen.. (Yes, we tried when we ordered some) They only stock Mickey Bars in the 2 Royal suites when requested.. I specifically called about those in the past when we were in Cat T's and was told that they will not stock them there because they were only refrigerators and not freezers. You must have been lucky to have a fridge that freezes and that they would let you pre order them.

 

[Robin2017]

Does Disney give free bottled water and specialty coffee? I thought it was free soda? I'll be really sad if I somehow missed free lattes lol.

No.. Disney only gives free water and specialty coffees in the concierge lounge. I for one wake up at 5:00 a.m. and the concierge lounge does not open up until 7:00 a.m. I was stuck drinking coffee from the coffee machine located where the soda machines are. However, I drank the heck out of some Evian water from the concierge lounge. I would grab some every time I went into the lounge.

 

[aborn0922]

I'm 23 and have used RCCL three times, at ages 11, 15, and 21. They were all freedom and higher class, so I never noticed some of the issues relating to an older ship. As a male 11 yr old, I greatly enjoyed the kids zone with RCCL and given the large group of family I was with, and that most kids were 15 or older, I don't think DCL would have been a good fit for that vacation. Same with the other two cruises where no one was very young aged and we appreciated the amount of sports and more adult-related activities. That being said, my fiancé and I have started looking into cruises for our honeymoon. Quite frankly, I don't think we can excuse the high additional cost of DCL vs RCCL. Instead, we will probably wait until we eventually have appropriately aged children to use DCL, when we might be more willing to pay extra for DCL.

Some of Richard's complaints about RCCL are certainly understandable (lack of flair compared to typical Disney, high expense for soda, and poorer evening entertainment) but some unfortunately just seem like you were expecting a worse experience aboard RCCL and chose a much older ship. I appreciate the added sports and activities aboard RCCLs newer ships, and they certainly have more of those than DCL. I can easily see how DCLs entertainment would be much higher class than RCCL though.

Overall, outside of price I think that choosing between RCCL and DCL depends on what type of vacation you want to have. DCL is probably better with younger children who adore Disney and if you want more of the trip to be guided by the entertainment available. RCCL, for most families, would be better with teens (especially more typical boys) and adult groups and also might be better if you want to self-guide a lot of your ship experience rather than following all of the planned activities/entertainments. Not all families/vacationers will fit that mold, certainly, but with either cruise you should be getting a great experience. Perhaps one of RCCLs downsides of focusing on growth in number of ships and aiming for grander designs each time is that the older ships end up getting ignored and their quality continually decreases. DCL has plenty fewer ships which means more time and effort is devoted to ensuring experiences on all of them are top.