CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[diseverestfan]

By the way, I just want to add that we had an amazing excursion in Nassau that I found online and is not available through the cruise lines. It's Bahama Jet Boat, and it was the highlight of the week for my teenage daughters. If you or your teens love water thrills I highly recommend this tour. It's an hour long and for the first 30 minutes you'll get a little narrated tour of the harbor area where the crew points out interesting homes and their owners. The last 20-30 minutes is full-throttle up and down the harbor including sharp turns and full spins. What a blast! (you WILL get very, very wet!!!)

We struggle with things of interest to do in Nassau and I hit it out the park with this little find.

Also - please ask any questions you might have about CCL and DCL. I'll see if I can help.

 

[mevelandry]

Hello all. I just got back from a 5 night cruise on the Carnival Elation and wanted to share a few thoughts. Before I do that, a little history - I had been on 2 previous cruises, both with Disney. In 2012 my family sailed on the Fantasy for a 7-night eastern Caribbean adventure just months after her christening. Then, a year later, it was a 4-night jaunt on the Dream to the Bahamas. Both were equally amazing, and having been to WDW 14 times as well, I was a certified Disney snob who, if I was being completely transparent...looked down on those who chose to cruise with Carnival. (as well as other cruise lines) In fact, back then I would have given my chances of getting struck by lightning twice as much higher than if I would ever lower myself to cruise on some "Fun Ship."...

Fast forward 5 years. This past spring I was looking for a way to do something exciting with my daughters, ages 17 and 16. Since they had equally amazing experiences on our Disney cruises I didn't hesitate to start the booking process for a repeat 4 night Bahama cruise in October. Wanted a veranda since I would be traveling without my wife this time around, and for the 3 of us the amount was just over $3500. Ouch. That was more than I was looking to spend for that amount of time. Now what? I'm an infrequent visitor on these boards but for whatever reason decided to log in and see what was happening at the parks. While playing around I came across this thread and started reading. Hmm. A good many people seemed to like these "cheap" Carnival cruises BUT...how could I? I was always all about all things Disney! Shame on me for even considering another line, much less...Carnival. It didn't even sound right saying it out loud. But again, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to gulp - go on the Carnival website and start pricing out the inferior trips they provide. I came across a 5 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Elation and for the same category room my price was...

$1298. What? Admittedly, I knew that Carnival was cheaper...that's part of the reason why I avoided them. My math: cheaper = get what you pay for. But this was something else...1/3 of the price of Disney for an EXTRA night? Now I was torn. I talked to my wife and told her what I found. She said "you're not really considering that are you?" to which I said "umm...hell yeah! It's a 1/3 of the price for a longer cruise!!!" Finally, after a few days of soul-searching and restless nights, I did it. I booked Carnival. Oh my, what did I get myself into?

For those of you reading this thread and god forbid my post, let me share with you one thing - if you're even considering a Carnival Cruise and never done so before...DO IT!!! We had an amazing time. Honestly, I was totally blown away. And while you can't compare the Elation (built in 1998) to the Disney Dream or Fantasy, there are a few things I'd like to compare and just share some candid thoughts. If you're still reading, here we go!

1. Cleanliness - we all thought the Elation was gorgeous and she has sure aged well. Understood that she had a massive rehab just last year, but the ship was a delight. Rich, dark woods and beautiful decor combined with the relatively small size made both the feeling and the accessibility wonderful. Great ship to sail on! I will say she rocks and rolls a good bit but that didn't bother me at all.

2. Customer Service - okay...this is one area that I thought that I thought would be a huge disparity between Disney and Carnival, and I was right. We all unanimously agreed that Carnival Elation staff was incredible, and way beyond what we got from Disney. Every, I mean every person we encountered was polite, and most were downright engaging. We talked about this the entire cruise. From Cam the CR to Zya our housekeeper to Rey and Juan in the dining room, they were all so wonderful that when we had to leave on Saturday it felt like we were leaving friends. Truly.

3. Food - Kind of a tossup here. I think the Cabanas buffet on DCL was far better than Tiffany's on Carnival. I'd say the food in the dining room was about equal, perhaps a slight edge to Carnival. I really enjoyed Guy's Burgers and honestly if it wasn't an option at lunchtime, that might have ended up being a disappointment. The Elation dining room is very nice but can't compare to the DCL ships.

4. Entertainment - I am not a drinker at all. Like zero. So, no comments on the multitude of bars and lounges on either line. What I can compare is Playlist Productions vs DCL's evening shows, and again, no contest. Carnival wins here by a HUGE margin! The Carnival shows "Divas" and "Epic Rock" blew us away. Fabulous dancing, singing, and special effects. Both shows were so good I went to both performances. In my limited sampling, major kudos to Carnival. (am I really saying this? )

5. Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - DCL's terminal is amazing and Jaxport is...well, like a warehouse. However, as far as getting in, parked, checked in, on and off the ship...so painless on Carnival. ( admission - I had booked FTTF which helped)

6. Value - I'm not going to bad mouth DCL. It is still a great line to cruise. However, much like the parks, they are pricing out a lot of people these days. I happen to be one of them. What I can tell you is that while Disney is truly magical and the ships have special touches that Carnival doesn't, there is no way it is worth the difference in price. No way. A price difference of over $2300 with one less night is absurd and was the only reason I ventured to Carnival to begin with.

Epilogue - I can't believe I spent years being too good for Carnival. No more. My next cruise, and hopefully many, many cruises to come will be on a Fun Ship. I loved every minute of my trip, and when I completed my follow-up survey today I had nothing negative to say other than perhaps offer more variety at the buffet. To all of you who like me have or are still Carnival bashers please stop if you haven't sailed with them yet. Your mileage may vary, but for me I'm a proud Carnival fan going forward.

Can't wait to sail a Fun Ship again.

A newly-made Carnival supporter,

Mike

Just wanted to confirm that I have added a link to your comparison to the first post. Thank you so much!

 

[belle032]

It's one thing to put something down, but it's really sad to do so when you've never given it a chance. I feel ashamed for how I acted about Carnival. I mean, we were treated like family last week. I was hoping that I'd tolerate the week and ended up being thoroughly impressed.

I hope your Disney cruise is Magical! What ship are you sailing and what is your itinerary? I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time...like you said, it really doesn't matter. Once your ship slides away from the dock, regardless of the cruise line, it's going to be awesome.

I’m so glad you had a positive experience and so happy you shared it with us!

We’re sailing on the Magic on the 7 night British Isles itinerary next year. We’ll also spend at least 2 days in London before sailing. Very much a bucket list cruise! It’ll be just DH and I, as we don’t have kids, but we’re so excited!

 

[mevelandry]

Thank you for your honest and refreshing review @diseverestfan !!

I wish more people would be open stepping outside their cruise comfort zone. Of course most people have their favorites, but that doesn’t mean you need to put down other cruise lines, especially if you don’t have any experience with them!

DH and I are CCL veterans but are trying our first DCL next year. Very excited to try it out! And honestly, whether it be CCL, DCL, RCL or NCL, it doesn’t matter! I can’t imagine ever having a bad time on a cruise.

You'll have a great time. The first DCL cruise is usually very special and emotional.

 

[mevelandry]

It's one thing to put something down, but it's really sad to do so when you've never given it a chance. I feel ashamed for how I acted about Carnival. I mean, we were treated like family last week. I was hoping that I'd tolerate the week and ended up being thoroughly impressed.

I hope your Disney cruise is Magical! What ship are you sailing and what is your itinerary? I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time...like you said, it really doesn't matter. Once your ship slides away from the dock, regardless of the cruise line, it's going to be awesome.

Yes.

As we were seated outside, gazing at the ocean, my husband said (joking): "Ever noticed how we get this view (the wonderful ocean view) regardless of the cruise line we sail on?" ...

 

[mevelandry]

**Major change of plans**

While DH and I were okay with taking a chance on the Carnival Sunshine after the listing incident, my MIL and FIL were not... :/

Since we already had checked the Carnival Liberty as a plan B, we decided to check again and there it was, the offer that we could not refuse:

For the same price we were going to spend on inside Spa cabins on Sunshine, I have found two --side by side-- L shaped cabins with "extended balconies" (2 portholes and 1 window door, the cabins are filled with light!!!), on a 4 nights cruise going to Princess Cays and leaving on the exact same date as we were originally supposed to sail on the Sunshine, which means we don't need to change anything on our WDW reservations.

The Liberty may not have the awesome Serenity pool BUT it has a aft pool very similar to the one we were crazy about on the Victory. AND it has a Barbecue counter and a Steakhouse.

Everybody is super excited!!!

Now, we have to decided which excursion we'll do in Nassau.

P.s.: I did not want to return to Grand Turk anyway. I'm sure Amber Cove is nice but I'm more excited about Princess Cays to be honest.

 

[hdrolfe]

**Major change of plans**

While DH and I were okay with taking a chance on the Carnival Sunshine after the listing incident, my MIL and FIL were not... :/

Since we already had checked the Carnival Liberty as a plan B, we decided to check again and there it was, the offer that we could not refuse:

For the same price we were going to spend on inside Spa cabins on Sunshine, I have found two --side by side-- L shaped cabins with "extended balconies" (2 portholes and 1 window door, the cabins are filled with light!!!), on a 4 nights cruise going to Princess Cays and leaving on the exact same date as we were originally supposed to sail on the Sunshine, which means we don't need to change anything on our WDW reservations.

The Liberty may not have the awesome Serenity pool BUT it has a aft pool very similar to the one we were crazy about on the Victory. AND it has a Barbecue counter and a Steakhouse.

Everybody is super excited!!!

Now, we have to decided which excursion we'll do in Nassau.

P.s.: I did not want to return to Grand Turk anyway. I'm sure Amber Cove was nice but I'm more excited about Princess Cays to be honest.

I was looking at that Sunshine cruise, it seemed to be filling up, there were not many cabins left. I wonder how many others will change their plans now.

 

[mevelandry]

I was looking at that Sunshine cruise, it seemed to be filling up, there were not many cabins left. I wonder how many others will change their plans now.

Hard to tell. DH and I would probably not have changed if it wasn't for my in-laws.

But I'm extremely happy with the plan B so it's all good.

 

[mevelandry]

Oh by the way, since it's for a celebration, we checked DCL as well...

April 14 -Carnival - 4 nights - Nassau/Princess Cays - Verandah (extended) L shaped Cabin (AFT): 1379$ for 2 adults
April 15 -Disney - 4 nights - Nassau/Castaway Cay - Verandah cabin (AFT) : 3756$ for 2 adults

Yeah... 2377$ more for DCL. We had a good laugh and booked with Carnival.

 

[diseverestfan]

Oh by the way, since it's for a celebration, we checked DCL as well...

April 14 -Carnival - 4 nights - Nassau/Princess Cays - Verandah (extended) L shaped Cabin (AFT): 1379$ for 2 adults
April 15 -Disney - 4 nights - Nassau/Castaway Cay - Verandah cabin (AFT) : 3756$ for 2 adults

Yeah... 2377$ more for DCL. We had a good laugh and booked with Carnival.

There you go...nearly 3X the money to cruise DCL versus Carnival. That is the same price difference I encountered when booking my recent trip.

Have a great time, and thanks for all the information you provide in this thread. You were one who helped convince me to try CCL...even though you didn't realize it at the time.

 

[mevelandry]

There you go...nearly 3X the money to cruise DCL versus Carnival. That is the same price difference I encountered when booking my recent trip.

Have a great time, and thanks for all the information you provide in this thread. You were one who helped convince me to try CCL...even though you didn't realize it at the time.

You're going to make me blush...



Thank you. I'm so glad you had a good time!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I am anxiously anticipating Monday when the Radiance itineraries will be released. On Sunday my mom and I were watching Rick Steves on PBS and his show was him doing a Med cruise! My mom was just drooling and says she really wants to do another one. Hoping for some good itineraries. Not sure what we will do if they aren't what we might really want. I guess I will try to open everyone's mind to NCL or RCCL.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I am anxiously anticipating Monday when the Radiance itineraries will be released. On Sunday my mom and I were watching Rick Steves on PBS and his show was him doing a Med cruise! My mom was just drooling and says she really wants to do another one. Hoping for some good itineraries. Not sure what we will do if they aren't what we might really want. I guess I will try to open everyone's mind to NCL or RCCL.

We’re looking forward to it too! We just need one that includes Greece and we’ll be there.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

We’re looking forward to it too! We just need one that includes Greece and we’ll be there.

Yes, Greece! It is so beautiful.

 

[mevelandry]

Before, when you left your guests under "TBA" and you changed your non-refundable reservation, you'd only pay ONE 50$/pp fee to make the change.

Sounds like they corrected the loophole.

I had to pay 50$/pp for each guest for my recent change.

Booooohhhh!!!!

 

[cruiser21]

I’m so glad you had a positive experience and so happy you shared it with us!

We’re sailing on the Magic on the 7 night British Isles itinerary next year. We’ll also spend at least 2 days in London before sailing. Very much a bucket list cruise! It’ll be just DH and I, as we don’t have kids, but we’re so excited!

Nice! I'll be on the cruise after you. I wish I could do both. I've considered switching to your cruise, but geez I hate 14 hour flights. Only having to fly to Europe one way is more appealing. I need to move to the East coast since that's the direction I'm always going.

 

[cruiser21]

Before, when you left your guests under "TBA" and you changed your non-refundable reservation, you'd only pay ONE 50$/pp fee to make the change.

Sounds like they corrected the loophole.

I had to pay 50$/pp for each guest for my recent change.

Booooohhhh!!!!

I do not like Carnivals non refundable deposits. Not worth it my opinion.

 

[mevelandry]

I do not like Carnivals non refundable deposits. Not worth it my opinion.

I only like them because the original booking price is usually lower under "Early Saver".

That being said, if they are going to give us a refund when prices go down regardless of the type of promo we used, it may not be such a good deal after all.

Also, now that they officially charge 50$/pp for a change even with TBA guests, it's very unlikely that I'm going to pick that promo again.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I only like them because the original booking price is usually lower under "Early Saver".

That being said, if they are going to give us a refund when prices go down regardless of the type of promo we used, it may not be such a good deal after all.

Also, now that they officially charge 50$/pp for a change even with TBA guests, it's very unlikely that I'm going to pick that promo again.

Frequently the past guest offer is only a couple dollars more per person than the early saver rate - so if you need the refundable deposit, that's a good offer to choose. You can also book the past guest rate and then when you've firmed things up, switch to the early saver rate. You'll pay the going rate so it's not always worth it (I've booked past guest 2 years in advance than ended up being less than the early saver a year out) but you can always check.

Early saver does have it's advantages - for instance, I booked our upcoming Sunshine cruise early saver and then they came out with a casino offer under my VIFP number so I was able to price match and get all of the benefits. Generally though we book so far in advance that it's unusual to see much of a price difference for us - I think the most we've gotten off a cruise (other than this next one where we saved $$$) is about $40-$60. Though I have heard of people who have saved a lot more.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Frequently the past guest offer is only a couple dollars more per person than the early saver rate - so if you need the refundable deposit, that's a good offer to choose. You can also book the past guest rate and then when you've firmed things up, switch to the early saver rate. You'll pay the going rate so it's not always worth it (I've booked past guest 2 years in advance than ended up being less than the early saver a year out) but you can always check.

Early saver does have it's advantages - for instance, I booked our upcoming Sunshine cruise early saver and then they came out with a casino offer under my VIFP number so I was able to price match and get all of the benefits. Generally though we book so far in advance that it's unusual to see much of a price difference for us - I think the most we've gotten off a cruise (other than this next one where we saved $$$) is about $40-$60. Though I have heard of people who have saved a lot more.

I only book under the past guest offer now, it’s usually not that much more per person so it’s worth it to me to not have to worry about canceling.