CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

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There is definitely a buffet on DCL, you can eat there or at the places out by the pool. Though, the meals in the dining rooms are really fun! We never dressed formally -- the nicest clothes I brought were jeans. We were going to skip "formal night" but our waiters told us to come anyway and it was fun and totally fine. I thought everyone was dressed casually and we did a European cruise.

I've been on a number of different cruise lines and enjoyed dcl the most. At the teen age, cruises can be really boring because there just aren't many people your age or much to do. I saw teens hanging out together all over the ship on DCL and I think the shows would appeal way more to a younger person than would the shows on other lines. I was just on NCL and skipped all the shows because they all sounded like torture.

You will be able to hang out in the adult areas because your niece will be able to do her own thing with the other kids. I think the oldest teen area will still be fine for her if she's 17, plus the kids meet up there the first day, exchange info and hang out around the ship.

For cheapest prices, book as close to opening day as you can and buy Disney gift cards for 5% off from Target. If you book through Costco, you can get a Costco cash card back.

I thought the kid situation was better on DCL than Carnival, honestly.
 
Happy New Year fellow cruisers! I look forward to reading about all of the exciting travels everyone has planned. We have our family vacation to Oahu in June and my DS2 is really excited about it.

Now, I need all of the DCL experts to help me. My niece graduates HS in 2022 and has expressed several times in recent months that she really wants to go on a Disney cruise :worried: . After spending lots of time on this board I know that DCL just doesn't jive with the way we like to vacation.

Some of my concerns are:
1. Cost - duh it's really expensive. We can afford it but the thought about what else I could do with that much money hurts (2 weeks in Europe anyone)
2. All those small children!
3. Dinner with set times. I'm on vacation for goodness sake. The fact that there is no buffet or really other dinner choices is also a factor. There also don't seem to be as many choices as we are used to on Carnival for breakfast and lunch (only buffet for free??).
4. I don't really like people therefore I won't be happy to share a table with others.
5. All those small children!
6. My niece won't be 18 until mid-July so we won't be able to all hang out in the adult areas to get away from all those small children.
7. The sleeping arrangements. No split bed and we won't be able to afford 2 rooms. We are all used to sleeping alone and even a few nights sharing is not ideal to us.
8. More formal dress for dinner.

I'm really having a difficult time even fathoming why my mom wants to try to make it happen. We didn't let the other kids really pick their trips. Is there anything that will even remotely help me? I don't want to dread a vacation but having to pay probably 3 times as much for a cruise and then not having anything that is familiar is really weighing on me.

That's a tricky one! I feel like all those things you mentioned are a big part of why DCL is not the best choice for DH & I at this point in our lives. And those things you listed are pretty much unchangeable unless DCL decides to change A LOT about their ships. :laughing: I believe the Disney Wish will be sailing by then, maybe a brand new ship would get you excited? Although, price-wise I can't imagine it will be budget friendly unfortunately. However, maybe the other ships will see a price drop which would be a "fingers-crossed best case scenario!"

Can you compromise with another cruise line like RCCL? Or maybe spend a few days in WDW to get the Disney fix and combine that with a non-DCL cruise?

If you gotta go with DCL, I'm sure you will have a great time. It's still cruising. Definitely go in the off-season if possible and request your own table at dinner. Room service is still complimentary, which is nice, and Cabanas is a good buffet. I never got very formal for dinner, mostly nice shorts, tops and some sundresses so don't think you need to go all out every night.
 
Happy New Year fellow cruisers! I look forward to reading about all of the exciting travels everyone has planned. We have our family vacation to Oahu in June and my DS2 is really excited about it.

Now, I need all of the DCL experts to help me. My niece graduates HS in 2022 and has expressed several times in recent months that she really wants to go on a Disney cruise :worried: . After spending lots of time on this board I know that DCL just doesn't jive with the way we like to vacation.

Some of my concerns are:
1. Cost - duh it's really expensive. We can afford it but the thought about what else I could do with that much money hurts (2 weeks in Europe anyone)
2. All those small children!
3. Dinner with set times. I'm on vacation for goodness sake. The fact that there is no buffet or really other dinner choices is also a factor. There also don't seem to be as many choices as we are used to on Carnival for breakfast and lunch (only buffet for free??).
4. I don't really like people therefore I won't be happy to share a table with others.
5. All those small children!
6. My niece won't be 18 until mid-July so we won't be able to all hang out in the adult areas to get away from all those small children.
7. The sleeping arrangements. No split bed and we won't be able to afford 2 rooms. We are all used to sleeping alone and even a few nights sharing is not ideal to us.
8. More formal dress for dinner.

I'm really having a difficult time even fathoming why my mom wants to try to make it happen. We didn't let the other kids really pick their trips. Is there anything that will even remotely help me? I don't want to dread a vacation but having to pay probably 3 times as much for a cruise and then not having anything that is familiar is really weighing on me.

1. Some itineraries have lower rates per night (like Panorama Canal, cruises from Galveston/Puerto Rico)...

2. Quiet Cove, Quiet Cove Café, Palo and Remy are our best friends. The late dining in the MDR was a little bit more quiet than the main dining.

3. I believe Cabanas is open during dinner time + possibly food counters near the main pool?

4. Call in advance and ask for a private table. Our request has always been granted.

5. Read no 2 again. LOL

6. Can you push back the trip until she's 18? Sounds worth it.

7. I think you can book a cabin and have the sofa as a bed at night. Our last cabin on DCL was like that. Another one had bunk bed.

8. Nah. People have dinner wearing tshirts there all the time.
 
Thanks everyone. As this is a graduation trip and she will be off to college in August we will have to travel in summer. She and my DS2 hate the clubs and prefer to hang with each other or us. That’s why the concern because my DS2 will be 19 so old enough for the adult areas with us “real” adults!
We would most likely do a 4 or 5 day cruise so we can also spend a week at WDW. If we don’t do the cruise we will spend about 12 days at the parks.
Hopefully we have lots of time to figure it out and psych ourselves up!
 


Maybe she could give the club a try and just pop in once to see how it is. There are also open house hours where anyone can go and check it out. I would just try because it's so much better on DCL than on other lines, and you're paying a lot extra for those decked out areas and services. There's also an 18-20 club that meets up around the ship -- maybe they could both do that.

I would also honestly not plan on staying in the adult areas all the time -- there isn't a lot to do there. There are a lot of nice open, quiet areas for relaxing all over the ship. And don’t miss the pub. They bring out some snacks late at night.
 
My mom and I do an adult only trip in the Autumn usually. This year we are booked on a 6 day Eastern Caribbean on Carnival Breeze. We decided to treat ourselves to a cabana on HMC! We've never been to HMC and are super excited (hopefully we can actually make port)!

Our British Isles cruise has a growing roll call on that other site (are we allowed to mention it). Lots of planning and it's still 18 months away.

My mom still wants to consider the DCL cruise as part of my niece's graduation trip so I guess I will keep watch for news of bookings for summer 2022.

Post-holiday doldrums have set in! Can't wait for summer vacay :sunny:
 
My mom and I do an adult only trip in the Autumn usually. This year we are booked on a 6 day Eastern Caribbean on Carnival Breeze. We decided to treat ourselves to a cabana on HMC! We've never been to HMC and are super excited (hopefully we can actually make port)!

Our British Isles cruise has a growing roll call on that other site (are we allowed to mention it). Lots of planning and it's still 18 months away.

My mom still wants to consider the DCL cruise as part of my niece's graduation trip so I guess I will keep watch for news of bookings for summer 2022.

Post-holiday doldrums have set in! Can't wait for summer vacay :sunny:

HMC is awesome.
 


My mom and I do an adult only trip in the Autumn usually. This year we are booked on a 6 day Eastern Caribbean on Carnival Breeze. We decided to treat ourselves to a cabana on HMC! We've never been to HMC and are super excited (hopefully we can actually make port)!

Our British Isles cruise has a growing roll call on that other site (are we allowed to mention it). Lots of planning and it's still 18 months away.

My mom still wants to consider the DCL cruise as part of my niece's graduation trip so I guess I will keep watch for news of bookings for summer 2022.

Post-holiday doldrums have set in! Can't wait for summer vacay :sunny:

We had a great roll call group for our British Isles cruise as well. It was super helpful and everyone was so nice and just excited to go. There's also a trip report here on the DIS from a family who did a longer BI cruise in 2017 I believe. I don't know if she finished it, but what is finished is super detailed and helpful.

I've heard great things about HMC and hope to get there some time! I'm sure the cabana will be awesome.
 
Tiny little rant: I don't think I'll book another cruise sailing during winter.

Trying to avoid the influenza and common colds have been a real nightmare lately... People organizing parties at home and coming to work while they are sick and burning with fever. People coughing without covering their mouths...

The idea of being sick on vacation is one of my worst "vacation nightmares".

And yes, this is me: wiping every door handles at work with Clorox wipes like a maniac!

I woke up with cold symptoms this morning and I am furious.
 
Tiny little rant: I don't think I'll book another cruise sailing during winter.

Trying to avoid the influenza and common colds have been a real nightmare lately... People organizing parties at home and coming to work while they are sick and burning with fever. People coughing without covering their mouths...

The idea of being sick on vacation is one of my worst "vacation nightmares".

And yes, this is me: wiping every door handles at work with Clorox wipes like a maniac!

I woke up with cold symptoms this morning and I am furious.
Take vitamin c. I find it helps me a lot. Also, if you have any sinus or post nasal drip, Sudafed cuts the run of a cold- at least for me!
 
Take vitamin c. I find it helps me a lot. Also, if you have any sinus or post nasal drip, Sudafed cuts the run of a cold- at least for me!

Got herbal tea with vitamin C right here. Washed my sinus with hydrasense earlier. I packed meds similar to sudafed in my suitcase this morning a corticosteroid pump for the nose just in case. I'll try to have loooong nights of sleep before I leave.

*fingers crossed*
 
Tiny little rant: I don't think I'll book another cruise sailing during winter.

Trying to avoid the influenza and common colds have been a real nightmare lately... People organizing parties at home and coming to work while they are sick and burning with fever. People coughing without covering their mouths...

The idea of being sick on vacation is one of my worst "vacation nightmares".

And yes, this is me: wiping every door handles at work with Clorox wipes like a maniac!

I woke up with cold symptoms this morning and I am furious.

I love sailing during winter because it gets us out of the snow for a bit, but you're right about sickness. My co-worker has been out all week with a virus and then DH went home sick from work yesterday. He doesn't do that often, so when he does I know he really doesn't feel well.

I've been lysol-ing and clorox wiping alllllll week. Also started on that Emergen-C. Refuse to get sick before we leave on the 24th!
 
I love to get away in the winter and don't worry too much about getting sick. Given kiddo is in school and we get exposed to EVERYTHING I figure we've already had it. One benefit of having kids maybe? Get exposed to even more germs :)

Sadly I won't be going anywhere this winter :( though I may do a train trip and stay in Canada over March break. Otherwise our next cruise is early December 2020 and I cannot wait for that. Only 11 months to go! ;)
 
I have the same fear about winter cruising also. We hardly get sick, I'm constantly washing my hands. In 2018 we all came down with the flu about 3 weeks before our cruise.(despite all getting the vaccine, that was the year it wasn't very affective). I was so happy to get it when we did because I wasn't worried about getting it right before our cruise. I just bought some Airborne and plan on making my family take it until our cruise next week.
Mevelandry, hope you feel better soon and have a great cruise!
 
I love to get away in the winter and don't worry too much about getting sick. Given kiddo is in school and we get exposed to EVERYTHING I figure we've already had it. One benefit of having kids maybe? Get exposed to even more germs :)

:rotfl2: I keep wondering how parents survive to all those germs... (I am a bit of a germophobe, especially 2 weeks before a trip)

Sadly I won't be going anywhere this winter :( though I may do a train trip and stay in Canada over March break. Otherwise our next cruise is early December 2020 and I cannot wait for that. Only 11 months to go! ;)

Oh! Where are you going?
 
I have the same fear about winter cruising also. We hardly get sick, I'm constantly washing my hands. In 2018 we all came down with the flu about 3 weeks before our cruise.(despite all getting the vaccine, that was the year it wasn't very affective). I was so happy to get it when we did because I wasn't worried about getting it right before our cruise. I just bought some Airborne and plan on making my family take it until our cruise next week.
Mevelandry, hope you feel better soon and have a great cruise!

Thank you. I'm still hopeful I can "break it" as I started taking saline and vitamin C as soon as I have felt the first symptoms. *Fingers crossed*
 
:rotfl2: I keep wondering how parents survive to all those germs... (I am a bit of a germophobe, especially 2 weeks before a trip)

Oh! Where are you going?

Probably just to Toronto, for some reason my son is really interested in going there (I think just to see the CN tower and make scared-of-heights mommy go to the top).

Yeah when he started daycare at a year, we went through so many colds/illnesses... I feel like my immune system is super charged now lol. But we do still wash hands and all that :) just perhaps not as obsessively as some do. And I prefer soap and water to that sanitizer stuff.
 
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