Elephant In the Room... But...

[mevelandry]

I agree with you, and it goes both ways is all some of us are saying. There are people on both sides that want to take shots at either DCL or other lines. There are some people that believe DCL can do no wrong, and some that think Disney is evil.

Then there are some of us caught in the middle.

Was I board on my last DCL cruise, to a point yeh, but there are still memories I won’t forget, yup. Rob Sanders singing photograph on the piano bringing me to tears because I finally understood the song, music is my kryptonite, for sure, but the rest was just ok. Our Hawaii cruises on the Wonder will always be my number 1 My number one memory ever on a cruie was watching the gentleman that built the LEGO wonder guide a blind gentleman’s hand over the LEGO model explaining the design of the ship to him. It was such a special random act of kindness I am getting misty eyed thinking about it.

I don’t expect others to share my beliefs and over the years I have butted heads with people on here, only one I regret is Tonka’s Skipper, but at the same time I have a ton of respect for a lot of posters on here and hopefully the feeling goes both ways. I also understand some people are all about Disney, so obviously DCL is the line for them, unless of course the cost is just too much.

You are right value is subjective, but for some like us the item to item comparison is valid so it is nice to see, others are willing to pay a premium to cruise DCL or another line.

For us we try to keep it to under 150 per night per person, in general, we do splurge once in a while. @mevelandry would be disappointed in me because we will likely never set foot on a Carnival cruise due to experiences of close friends and family, we are down to a few lines we price shop between, including DCL.

This is a long winded answer for saying most of us fall in the middle, but there will always be extremes. Just glad the extremes are mellow here compared to other forums, cough, CC.

Huh, what? Why would I be disappointed? They don't sign my paycheck.

 

[cgolf]

Huh, what? Why would I be disappointed? They don't sign my paycheck.

Just that we are open minded to most cruise lines but the one I will never say never because their new ships look nice, but it will take a bit more to convince my wife. So I guess I am a bit of a cruise snob after all

 

[tinkerone]

Just glad the extremes are mellow here compared to other forums, cough, CC.

When I first started to look at moving on from DCL and had questions about RCL it was suggested by a member on our RCL board to go to CC because they have a more extensive thread. To say I was shocked when I got there would be an understatement. Anyone who thinks the DIS is getting bad should spend a few hours there. I have seen people ask the simplest, nicest question and get an answer equivalent to being spit on. They get vicious for no reason. It really gets nasty at times. I don't go there often anymore because its like that. Some posters are nice and some just want a place to make people feel bad. Ain't nobody got time for that.....

I enjoy the DIS, I enjoy the different thoughts and ideas. I like to read others experiences. People here helped me to know that I could transition. If this helps others as well then it can't be a bad thing can it? I hope people continue to share their opinions. I don't hate DCL but I do know there's another world out there as well. It doesn't matter what threads get started, if I don't like it I'll just move on to the next one. If I feel I can add to it, I will. Its that easy.

 

[cgolf]

When I first started to look at moving on from DCL and had questions about RCL it was suggested by a member on our RCL board to go to CC because they have a more extensive thread. To say I was shocked when I got there would be an understatement. Anyone who thinks the DIS is getting bad should spend a few hours there. I have seen people ask the simplest, nicest question and get an answer equivalent to being spit on. They get vicious for no reason. It really gets nasty at times. I don't go there often anymore because its like that. Some posters are nice and some just want a place to make people feel bad. Ain't nobody got time for that.....

I enjoy the DIS, I enjoy the different thoughts and ideas. I like to read others experiences. People here helped me to know that I could transition. If this helps others as well then it can't be a bad thing can it? I hope people continue to share their opinions. I don't hate DCL but I do know there's another world out there as well. It doesn't matter what threads get started, if I don't like it I'll just move on to the next one. If I feel I can add to it, I will. Its that easy.

The recent kids sail free threads on Celebrity brought out attitude in me I didn’t think I would ever post with. It is a level I would never use here, but to get through to some there that is how you have to post. Thick skin isn’t needed, armor is. Then again there are great folks over there too, I just listen to there comments and ignore or laugh at the rest. This is just overall a much more friendly board.

 

[ThistleMae]

I think every cruise line attracts folks based on their favorite offerings. I like really good shows. Norwegian, even on an older ship, had awesome entertainment. Carnival's is always pretty good but nothing spectacular. Their comedy club; however, is very good. Royal's entertainment was very disappointing, except for the ventriloquist (really funny). And that's just one ship and my one and only time on Royal, so really can't compare their ships. I also love to dance. Carnival has lots of dancing, both on deck and in the clubs, every night. Royal was lacking in this department, but we practiced a flash dance for Halloween, and we performed it on deck...really cool! I imagine DCL has it's specialty attractions. What is it that really blows people away on DCL, I'd love to hear.

 

[smmco]

Just that we are open minded to most cruise lines but the one I will never say never because their new ships look nice, but it will take a bit more to convince my wife. So I guess I am a bit of a cruise snob after all

I'm super excited to try the new Carnival ship next year. The ship looks amazing and the European itinerary is perfect. I'm a bit of snob myself. I will only cruise on new ships unless it's the Magic or Wonder. I'm afraid to try the older ships on other cruise lines. The European cruises we've done on Royal were when they launched new ships.

The roller coaster on top of the Carnival Mardi Gras will be something my kids will get a kick out of. I also want to to try the new NCL ships with the go-carts. I wish all these ships would have existed when my kids were younger, maybe we wouldn't have been so stuck on DCL. My kids are in high school now and I feel like I have limited time. My youngest will hopefully(fingers crossed on the price) get to experience the new Disney ship as a teen, but my oldest will be in college by then.

 

[mevelandry]

Just that we are open minded to most cruise lines but the one I will never say never because their new ships look nice, but it will take a bit more to convince my wife. So I guess I am a bit of a cruise snob after all

No worries, I understand. Also, all Carnival ships are not equal, I would probably only suggest new ships and certain activities to DCL lovers and I am very blunt about that in the first post of the Carnival thread (see Carnival Sensation, Grand Turk, etc.) ... But I strongly believe it's possible to "cookie cut" a good family vacation for less $$ with them, whenever someone needs to branch out or alternate between cruise lines. That was the goal. I did this with Carnival because it's the first non-DCL we tried. Could have been NCL or RCCL (cancelled two cruise lines with each in the past).

By the way, I'm building a similar thread in the RCCL section. I'll get very busy in May...

 

[mevelandry]

I think every cruise line attracts folks based on their favorite offerings. I like really good shows. Norwegian, even on an older ship, had awesome entertainment. Carnival's is always pretty good but nothing spectacular. Their comedy club; however, is very good. Royal's entertainment was very disappointing, except for the ventriloquist (really funny). And that's just one ship and my one and only time on Royal, so really can't compare their ships. I also love to dance. Carnival has lots of dancing, both on deck and in the clubs, every night. Royal was lacking in this department, but we practiced a flash dance for Halloween, and we performed it on deck...really cool! I imagine DCL has it's specialty attractions. What is it that really blows people away on DCL, I'd love to hear.

Remy blew me away.

I agree 100% with what you say re Carnival shows. There's always a show that is better/the favorite during the cruise. I stick to this one. Reminds me of good shows at the Montreal Casino. Nothing spectacular but very enjoyable.

 

[tink1970]

What is it that really blows people away on DCL, I'd love to hear.

Nothing, per se, blows me away on the ships. I am super picky about the aesthetic of them so there are certain lines I won't cruise just because their ships are unattractive to me. I enjoy the service and some of the concierge lounge hosts I've seen several times so it's very nice to cruise with them. My DH and I are both huge introverts so being able to be on the concierge level of the Dream/Fantasy and away from the large crowds is a huge appeal to us (although I prefer the smaller Wonder/Magic overall). I love the rainforest room, Castaway Cay, and the ships themselves. Having sailed so often, the ships are familiar and comfortable, sort of like a home away from home. Had I started off cruising with Viking or SilverSea, I'm sure I would feel the same about them. So it's not one thing for us but several small things.

@mevelandry -nice new photo!

 

[mevelandry]

Nothing, per se, blows me away on the ships. I am super picky about the aesthetic of them so there are certain lines I won't cruise just because their ships are unattractive to me. I enjoy the service and some of the concierge lounge hosts I've seen several times so it's very nice to cruise with them. My DH and I are both huge introverts so being able to be on the concierge level of the Dream/Fantasy and away from the large crowds is a huge appeal to us (although I prefer the smaller Wonder/Magic overall). I love the rainforest room, Castaway Cay, and the ships themselves. Having sailed so often, the ships are familiar and comfortable, sort of like a home away from home. Had I started off cruising with Viking or SilverSea, I'm sure I would feel the same about them. So it's not one thing for us but several small things.

@mevelandry -nice new photo!

Thank you!

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Agree with first paragraph totally. Regarding why people complain about aspects of a Disney cruise, maybe they are hoping that someone at DCL will be reading these posts and that by pointing out the negatives, those aspects might be changed. I love to cruise Disney but I am appalled at the way their prices are skyrocketing, I hate their coffee and I am not happy about the decrease in amenities that we have seen over the years.

LOL! The coffee is pretty bad, but not bad enough to pay extra for a fancy coffee drink. If only as a caffeine delivery system, I was happy enough to drink the free, unlimited stuff.

 

[MelissaE1]

What is it that really blows people away on DCL, I'd love to hear.

As everyone knows, this is totally subjective, and even what "blows me away" personally has changed over the years. I no longer sail exclusively on DCL for many reasons. But I can tell you what made the difference for me and what made it take me years to consider sailing elsewhere.

It was the first cruise when dd4 and I were standing quietly outside the Oceaneer's Lab waiting for my son and a CM came up to us and pointed up and across the lobby opening to where Minnie was waiting alone with her handler. She sent a little personal wave to dd and I wish I had a picture of how her whole face lit up like Christmas. It would have been a great commercial for the line.

It was getting off the ship the first time and glancing at ds8, who had silent tears running down his cheeks as he exited the ship.

It was 3 years later when the pic that you see at left was taken... accidentally running into Stitch in the elevator lobby at probably the only time EVER I didn't have my camera on a vacation. Stitch could see how badly dd wanted a photo and literally laid down in the elevator lobby and threw a fit while his handler told him he "had to go now" and DH ran up two flights of steps and grabbed my camera. One bear-hug later and it's one of my favorite memories and photos.

It was the time when the CM in the store sat down with my kids after her shift, brought out her personal pin collection, and taught my kids about pin trading. My dd still has a Tinkerbell pin that she gave her.

It was chatting with our server from the Philippines about how my super picky, eat-4-things-as-a-kid son loved my neighbor's adobo, and the next night having a special covered dish set down in front of him to reveal some amazing adobo, with enough for the family added in.

It was when one of our room stewards saw that my kids were interested in the towel monkey and did an impromptu class for them on how to fold them. Or the time when another one, after some super small kindness on our part (don't even remember what it was, just that it was negligible), brought me an entire basket of H2O spa products as a gift.

Most of those examples are kid related because that was the lens I used to filter my experiences at the time. My kids are adults now, and I honestly couldn't say if those things still happen or not. It's not that we never had any negatives (actually we had one pretty large one), and I'm as sad as some others to hear that we may have to chase down printed personal navigators on our upcoming TA. Speaking for myself, it's not worth it to me to pay the 2x and even 3x for special itineraries when there are other great options. But now when cost and timing work for us to sail Disney, I just enjoy the feeling of the ships and the great customer service we've been generally lucky to receive. The Magic does feel a little like home on a ship to me.

 

[ChicosWife]

Reply to the comment that was addressed to me:

I respectfully disagree for the reasons I've stated earlier in this post. While it's nearly impossible to compare "news", informations on the differences between the lines are clearly stated in the first post and prices between the lines are compared all the time. I'm sorry you do not enjoy the thread as it is. You (and everyone) are more than welcome to make suggestions or recommendations in order to make it better.

So, are you saying there is no difference in the general type of people that go to Wal-Mart versus the people who shop at Rodeo Drive? BTW, before stones are thrown, I will tell you that I do shop at Wal-Mart, so I am speaking from experience.

 

[ChicosWife]

As everyone knows, this is totally subjective, and even what "blows me away" personally has changed over the years. I no longer sail exclusively on DCL for many reasons. But I can tell you what made the difference for me and what made it take me years to consider sailing elsewhere.

It was the first cruise when dd4 and I were standing quietly outside the Oceaneer's Lab waiting for my son and a CM came up to us and pointed up and across the lobby opening to where Minnie was waiting alone with her handler. She sent a little personal wave to dd and I wish I had a picture of how her whole face lit up like Christmas. It would have been a great commercial for the line.

It was getting off the ship the first time and glancing at ds8, who had silent tears running down his cheeks as he exited the ship.

It was 3 years later when the pic that you see at left was taken... accidentally running into Stitch in the elevator lobby at probably the only time EVER I didn't have my camera on a vacation. Stitch could see how badly dd wanted a photo and literally laid down in the elevator lobby and threw a fit while his handler told him he "had to go now" and DH ran up two flights of steps and grabbed my camera. One bear-hug later and it's one of my favorite memories and photos.

It was the time when the CM in the store sat down with my kids after her shift, brought out her personal pin collection, and taught my kids about pin trading. My dd still has a Tinkerbell pin that she gave her.

It was chatting with our server from the Philippines about how my super picky, eat-4-things-as-a-kid son loved my neighbor's adobo, and the next night having a special covered dish set down in front of him to reveal some amazing adobo, with enough for the family added in.

It was when one of our room stewards saw that my kids were interested in the towel monkey and did an impromptu class for them on how to fold them. Or the time when another one, after some super small kindness on our part (don't even remember what it was, just that it was negligible), brought me an entire basket of H2O spa products as a gift.

Most of those examples are kid related because that was the lens I used to filter my experiences at the time. My kids are adults now, and I honestly couldn't say if those things still happen or not. It's not that we never had any negatives (actually we had one pretty large one), and I'm as sad as some others to hear that we may have to chase down printed personal navigators on our upcoming TA. Speaking for myself, it's not worth it to me to pay the 2x and even 3x for special itineraries when there are other great options. But now when cost and timing work for us to sail Disney, I just enjoy the feeling of the ships and the great customer service we've been generally lucky to receive. The Magic does feel a little like home on a ship to me.

 

[mevelandry]

So, are you saying there is no difference in the general type of people that go to Wal-Mart versus the people who shop at Rodeo Drive? BTW, before stones are thrown, I will tell you that I do shop at Wal-Mart, so I am speaking from experience.

I fail to see how this is an answer to my comment.

But since you ask: I don't judge people by their wallet, no. Also, money can't buy decency and it certainly doesn't make anyone a better person.

 

[tinkerone]

I fail to see how this is an answer to my comment.

But since you ask, I don't judge people by their wallets, no. Money can't buy decency and it certainly doesn't make anyone a better person.

Oh my goodness, that was my first thought. What did the comment have to do with anything? I've re-read it several times to see if I missed something.

 

[monorailrabbit]

This misses the point. @tink1970 isn't saying that finding greater value for YOUR buck is wrong. I'm sure she would agree that everybody should do this! I think being frugal is a great thing, and I think it's fair to say DCL's prices have increased quite a bit (and to complain about them!).

But here's what's not fair, and what tink's point truly was: those who choose to cruise DCL are made to feel like we are being foolish and just don't get what cruising is all about. THAT mindset is pervasive among some on these boards. And yes, we could just ignore those comments/threads/people. But the DIS is a bit more like a community than most online message boards, and it would be nice if everybody simply respected everybody's opinions and experiences without suggesting they are wrong, misguided, foolish, or ignorant.

I also don't think it's very nice to characterize an experience that somebody finds meaningful, such as meeting a character on a Disney Cruise, as "hugging an adult in a costume", or whatever the exact quote was. I thought that was very rude, and exactly the kind of condescending thing that does more to hurt these boards than help them. If you don't care for the character greetings, I completely understand and don't hold it against you. It's simply enough to say "I don't care for the character greetings, so those don't add any value for me."

Lastly, I've only been on 2 cruises. They happen to be DCL cruises. I'd like to cruise other lines, but I live in Nebraska and have young kids, so it's not an easy task. Still, I previously had cruises booked on NCL, RCCL, and Celebrity at one time or another. I unfortunately had to cancel them for various reasons, and the two DCL ones stuck (go figure). But I had done enough research/comparisons to take the step of actually booking on those lines. I am sure that we will cruise other lines to get more bang for our buck and to experience the different ports where Disney is way overpriced at some point (Alaska keeps coming to mind), but we aren't there yet. Still, that should not mean that my opinion is irrelevant. This is another pervasive idea that I find ridiculous and annoying: unless you've cruised on a whole bunch of different lines, your experience doesn't matter. So apparently, I should shut up and not contribute when people are asking for opinions. Between the days (really weeks or months) of research I've done, as well as countless discussions with close family members who have cruised on ALL these other lines, I feel like I should be allowed to contribute without being told I'm wrong.

As has been said several times here and elsewhere, value is subjective. What's truly foolish is to try to compare "apples to apples", because everybody views all of the differences between lines, well, differently. All we can do is share our experiences and acknowledge others' experiences. For a whole lot of people on here, simply adding up the dollar amount of a soda package to another cruise line's fare does not result in an 'apples to apples' comparison. Comments like this are counter-productive. @tidefan had a great answer that ran down all the DCL value-adds compared to other lines, but was promptly "corrected"... again, value is subjective. Right now, based on my research and the needs of my family (With children ages 5 & 1), I'm willing to pay an extra 20-30% for a DCL cruise. Would I pay 50% more? Probably not, but it depends on a whole lot of factors. Does that make me right or wrong? Neither. It makes me, me.

Just because people post pro-DCL aspects does not mean they are "drinking the Kool-aid", a "mouse-thumper", or anything else. I really don't think there's anybody on here who is a DCL diehard for life that attacks those with positive thoughts about other lines. These people simply don't exist, I'm sorry. DCL has its faults, no doubt. And this is as good a place as any to discuss those, and bring up what other lines do better. I've been frustrated with the 2-pool situation myself, and have researched other lines that do it better. I sincerely look forward to continuing to learn about other cruise lines, especially from those who enjoy DCL themselves, and ultimately cruising other lines in the future.

Been lurking on this thread for awhile, but this one made me want to take the jump in!

First off, hello, fellow Nebraskan! I hope you are doing well with all the flooding happening!

Ok, now on to my post. We are taking a bucket list trip to Alaska in 2020. I've ALWAYS wanted to go and see the orcas - as my signature says ALL THE ORCAS! I have been told my numerous people (in person, not on the boards) that we are "crazy" to go with Disney for this cruise. I have to say, after reading some posts in a different thread, it was beginning to take a little of the shine off for me. I totally got the "I am being foolish" vibe from some other posts. I did my due diligence and knew the prices were higher. We used a OBB and called on the first day for silver and got a still high, but less than I thought, price. Still high? Yes, very, but we are giving ourselves over a year to pay it off and are willing to sacrifice a trip this year to make it happen. That might sound silly to some - and that's ok!

Full disclosure, we have not sailed on any other line, and we've only taken 2 cruises with DCL. I am actually thoroughly enjoying reading about other ones! It sounds like NCL and Princess may have some itineraries we will jump on in the future! We don't have kinds, its just DH and I, but we are BIG Disney fans and having Mickey waffles for breakfast, a surprise encounter with a character on an elevator, or even the magic Fantasia pictures on the wall make all the difference to us! I see absolutely nothing wrong with being only DCL or branching out! As others have said - you do you! There is no wrong way to take a vacation! I am super excited now to branch out in a few years, something I honestly wouldn't have considered without some good honest thread on these boards! That being said, if I'm crazy for paying the DCL price for Alaska, then crazy be I!

 

[ThistleMae]

Nothing, per se, blows me away on the ships. I am super picky about the aesthetic of them so there are certain lines I won't cruise just because their ships are unattractive to me. I enjoy the service and some of the concierge lounge hosts I've seen several times so it's very nice to cruise with them. My DH and I are both huge introverts so being able to be on the concierge level of the Dream/Fantasy and away from the large crowds is a huge appeal to us (although I prefer the smaller Wonder/Magic overall). I love the rainforest room, Castaway Cay, and the ships themselves. Having sailed so often, the ships are familiar and comfortable, sort of like a home away from home. Had I started off cruising with Viking or SilverSea, I'm sure I would feel the same about them. So it's not one thing for us but several small things.

@mevelandry -nice new photo!

Thank you, just looking for favorites on different ships. I like the aesthetics as well, but I like to experience different ships.

 

[ThistleMae]

As everyone knows, this is totally subjective, and even what "blows me away" personally has changed over the years. I no longer sail exclusively on DCL for many reasons. But I can tell you what made the difference for me and what made it take me years to consider sailing elsewhere.

It was the first cruise when dd4 and I were standing quietly outside the Oceaneer's Lab waiting for my son and a CM came up to us and pointed up and across the lobby opening to where Minnie was waiting alone with her handler. She sent a little personal wave to dd and I wish I had a picture of how her whole face lit up like Christmas. It would have been a great commercial for the line.

It was getting off the ship the first time and glancing at ds8, who had silent tears running down his cheeks as he exited the ship.

It was 3 years later when the pic that you see at left was taken... accidentally running into Stitch in the elevator lobby at probably the only time EVER I didn't have my camera on a vacation. Stitch could see how badly dd wanted a photo and literally laid down in the elevator lobby and threw a fit while his handler told him he "had to go now" and DH ran up two flights of steps and grabbed my camera. One bear-hug later and it's one of my favorite memories and photos.

It was the time when the CM in the store sat down with my kids after her shift, brought out her personal pin collection, and taught my kids about pin trading. My dd still has a Tinkerbell pin that she gave her.

It was chatting with our server from the Philippines about how my super picky, eat-4-things-as-a-kid son loved my neighbor's adobo, and the next night having a special covered dish set down in front of him to reveal some amazing adobo, with enough for the family added in.

It was when one of our room stewards saw that my kids were interested in the towel monkey and did an impromptu class for them on how to fold them. Or the time when another one, after some super small kindness on our part (don't even remember what it was, just that it was negligible), brought me an entire basket of H2O spa products as a gift.

Most of those examples are kid related because that was the lens I used to filter my experiences at the time. My kids are adults now, and I honestly couldn't say if those things still happen or not. It's not that we never had any negatives (actually we had one pretty large one), and I'm as sad as some others to hear that we may have to chase down printed personal navigators on our upcoming TA. Speaking for myself, it's not worth it to me to pay the 2x and even 3x for special itineraries when there are other great options. But now when cost and timing work for us to sail Disney, I just enjoy the feeling of the ships and the great customer service we've been generally lucky to receive. The Magic does feel a little like home on a ship to me.

So they pin trade on DCL? This may be a naive question, but I love pin trading!

 

[ThistleMae]

Oh my goodness, that was my first thought. What did the comment have to do with anything? I've re-read it several times to see if I missed something.