Will we be disappointed if we don't cruise DCL in Europe?

[mevelandry]

I just made reservations on the Magic for August of 2019. We used a placeholder discount and will get money back from Costco (both are great!). We have been on 4 Disney cruises and all were fabulous. However, we are a family of 6. I just checked Norwegian for a similar itinerary and the cost difference is over $12,000! I LOVE Disney, but I don't know if I can justify it. My kids will be 21, 21, 20 and 18, so the kids clubs aren't an issue. Any experiences on DCL or Norwegian would be helpful to me. I'm not very flexible on dates because of college and work schedules for the girls. Thanks for any insight!

I love DCL but there's life (and other amazing cruise lines) other than DCL. Just open your heart to a new experience.

With the money saved you can pay in full an extra cruise.

 

[kaseyC]

No way. Not for such a port intensive cruise. $12K can give you a fabulous pre and/or post cruise stay in cities not accessible by cruise. It also could be used to book some amazing private experiences with private drivers and tour guides. If you have young adult/teen daughters like me, that savings could be used for some major shopping.

 

[KashasMom]

$12,000? No way! We did an amazing Baltic cruise on RCI. It was almost 1/3 the cost of DCL - and our cruise was longer and the itinerary much better. European cruises are so port intensive that they just don't justify Disney prices!

 

[shoes99]

We were booked with DCL on the Northern European Capitals Cruise several years ago. Before PIF date we cancelled DCL
and went with Princess out of Copenhagen. They visited the same ports, were just 1 day apart with the dates and they were
$3000.00 cheaper. We were also upgraded to a full suite with Princess even though we only sailed 4 times with Princess and 20+
times with DCL. We had a great time. On the port intensive cruises I would not hesitate to book with another line.
We were on a private tour with a group we didn't know, and one of the little girls brought her Stitch doll to every museum/location so
I cheated and borrowed her Stitch to sit at the throne of Catherine the Great. It was fun.

 

[Travel60]

With all adults traveling, you might want to look at some of the smaller ships....last summer we did a Ponant cruise with stops in Spain, Corsica, Sicily and Italy. The ship has ~100 cabins so ~200 cruisers. While on a small ship there is not all the hoopla of a Disney cruise, the attention to detail was wonderful and the food excellent. It was our second time sailing with Ponant and I would definitely do another.

 

[AngelDisney]

With all adults traveling, you might want to look at some of the smaller ships....last summer we did a Ponant cruise with stops in Spain, Corsica, Sicily and Italy. The ship has ~100 cabins so ~200 cruisers. While on a small ship there is not all the hoopla of a Disney cruise, the attention to detail was wonderful and the food excellent. It was our second time sailing with Ponant and I would definitely do another.

Thanks for sharing! Are the quotes prices online per stateroom basis or per person basis? TIA!

 

[owensamo]

We did sail DCL for the Baltic in 2015 and we really enjoyed it, but after sailing with Celebrity in Italy and Greece last year, we're happy sailing non-Disney (specifically Celebrity, as they are very similar in service) for port-intensive cruises. We can justify the extra cost for Disney on the unique itineraries (MDAS, SWDAS, etc) or longer itineraries (we're booked on next year's WBPC) where we have plenty of time on the ship to enjoy all that DCL has to offer. But when the ports are the focus of the cruise, and we don't want to feel rushed on our port days because we'll miss dinner, or something on the ship - Celebrity is now our go-to cruise line.

 

[Intr3pid]

I think your kids' ages and interests are a more important issue here than you may be thinking. Port intensity can cut both ways. If your kids enjoy history and the European city tours, the ship matters less. If they don't - you'll have a miserable time dragging them out to see every other cathedral or museum. Leaving them behind on Magic on at least some of those port days will be a lifesaver.

Our kids are younger (one just entered high school), and we are booked on two Magic cruises for next summer. In school holidays too, hah. Magic is spending most of its August next year in the Baltic, which isn't as port-intensive as the Med.

So what else would we consider?

* Cunard: Similar to DCL in service, fleet, and cost. If you travel in school holidays, you will see tons of families on board. It does tend to spend more days at sea than we would like.
* Celebrity: Great one-way Med cruises, but their Baltic itineraries are 12-day trips, so you won't end up saving much vs DCL. The ships sail from Amsterdam - i.e. if you were thinking of spending more time in Copenhagen instead.
* MSC Yacht Club/NCL Haven: If you stay within the exclusive ship areas, you will have a great time. And NCL's general millennial vibe appeals to adult kids. MSC has amazing prices -- the challenge is in finding their YC rooms in the school season for larger families. All that said, the broader ship experience can be an issue for both. The non-Haven rooms may also be too small for your family. And if you can splurge on Haven, you can pay for DCL.

We haven't really looked at the luxury lines as most of the ships are more or less adult-focused. Plus, you will end up paying more than at DCL because of the family size.

 

[Canesfan3234]

There's nothing wrong with going outside of Disney. There are plenty of great cruise line companies. You pay the upcharge for disney because of the boat experiences on the days at sea. On the european cruises, those days at sea are non-existent. Also considering the age of your group, it is probably better to have more adult experiences like the casino available.

You are on this site because you love disney, I get it. I'm here for the same reason, but you shouldn't be paralyzed by the fear of doing a vacation that isn't connected to disney.

 

[FSU Girl]

I was faced with this dilemma for my honeymoon cruise. I was hesitant to try a different cruise line since it's such an important trip. Eventually we decided to stay with Disney since we know we love the ship. I think for just a normal vacation I would pick another cruise line, especially for the amount of money you would be saving. That is a huge amount! If saving that money would make a big difference for a future trip then I say go for another cruise line, you'll still be in Europe having a blast.

 

[KashasMom]

There's nothing wrong with going outside of Disney. There are plenty of great cruise line companies. You pay the upcharge for disney because of the boat experiences on the days at sea. On the european cruises, those days at sea are non-existent. Also considering the age of your group, it is probably better to have more adult experiences like the casino available.

You are on this site because you love disney, I get it. I'm here for the same reason, but you shouldn't be paralyzed by the fear of doing a vacation that isn't connected to disney.

This! We were on a 13 night with ONE sea day! We were gone from morning until night. Most nights would not have made dinner on DCL - thankfully we had dinner buffet available.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

This! We were on a 13 night with ONE sea day! We were gone from morning until night. Most nights would not have made dinner on DCL - thankfully we had dinner buffet available.

And that's an important thing to highlight - other lines offer anytime dining or true dinner buffets (or family specialty restaurants) - this can be very helpful for those longer port days. You don't need to rush back to the ship to get ready for dinner; you have choices.

 

[Geomom]

Yes, you will be disappointed...but you'll get over it by using that $12,000 savings on some other Disney Cruise or Disney Parks visit!

 

[Dis_fool]

We did a Transatlantic on the NCL Epic. It was inexpensive, but had all of the charm and charisma of touring for 2 weeks in a school bus. Food was average at best, and no real feel imho.
We also have done a 10 day Med on the Magic. Yes it is very port intensive, and there are some other (lots) of choices out there, but we have extremely fond memories of the DCL Med cruise. It comes down to your budget, and ability to pay. If you can afford it do the DCL, but if it comes down to having to stay home do another line. NCL wouldn't be my choice, but know others feel differently.

 

[aggiedog]

I think there is a vast difference between a TA and a Med cruise. I would not have done an MSC concierge TA, as I just didn't like the rest of the ship that much, and on a TA, there are a LOT of sea days. I'd gladly do another Med cruise with MSC, since there were no sea days, so for what we needed - a nice room, a quiet lounge, and an uncrowded pool, it was perfect.

 

[Dis_fool]

I think there is a vast difference between a TA and a Med cruise. I would not have done an MSC concierge TA, as I just didn't like the rest of the ship that much, and on a TA, there are a LOT of sea days. I'd gladly do another Med cruise with MSC, since there were no sea days, so for what we needed - a nice room, a quiet lounge, and an uncrowded pool, it was perfect.

I totally agree there is a big difference between a DCL And Epic cruise on either a Med Or on a TA. I have probably done a half dozen DCL TA’s and if the $ is not a hindrance no question which one I would choose. The DCL ship made our cruise.

 

[Debbie Torres]

I just returned from an Alaska cruise on the new Norwegian Bliss . We have always cruised DCL . The price difference for a balcony between NCL versus DCL was 6000 versus 13000 . Which for us could be another cruise . The ship was amazing and it was only a few weeks old . There were some differences where NCL won over DCL. The biggest difference was the food . NCL won in the taste department hands down . There was always something different and there was hardly any repeats of desserts . Also there were so many places to get food on almost every deck . DCL won on service and stateroom size and I love that DCL serves Coca Cola products and it is includes in the cruise fair . However Disney was not worth an extra 7000 dollars in this instance

 

[lilsonicfan]

We did a Transatlantic on the NCL Epic. It was inexpensive, but had all of the charm and charisma of touring for 2 weeks in a school bus. Food was average at best, and no real feel imho.
We also have done a 10 day Med on the Magic. Yes it is very port intensive, and there are some other (lots) of choices out there, but we have extremely fond memories of the DCL Med cruise. It comes down to your budget, and ability to pay. If you can afford it do the DCL, but if it comes down to having to stay home do another line. NCL wouldn't be my choice, but know others feel differently.

We are on the Epic next year for the Med cruise but are on DCL for the TA. I think this is the right order - longer cruise, more sea days with Disney, and more ports with NCL. I’m looking forward to it, we will be in the Haven though. I like NCL, and hopefully my kids do too.

 

[KashasMom]

I just returned from an Alaska cruise on the new Norwegian Bliss . We have always cruised DCL . The price difference for a balcony between NCL versus DCL was 6000 versus 13000 . Which for us could be another cruise . The ship was amazing and it was only a few weeks old . There were some differences where NCL won over DCL. The biggest difference was the food . NCL won in the taste department hands down . There was always something different and there was hardly any repeats of desserts . Also there were so many places to get food on almost every deck . DCL won on service and stateroom size and I love that DCL serves Coca Cola products and it is includes in the cruise fair . However Disney was not worth an extra 7000 dollars in this instance

So glad to hear this (especially the food part)! We're on the Bliss next month. Ridiculous difference in price! We have a great room on the Bliss. Hoping for nice weather so we can swim. The observation lounge looks amazing.

 

[Pens Fan]

We are on the Epic next year for the Med cruise but are on DCL for the TA. I think this is the right order - longer cruise, more sea days with Disney, and more ports with NCL. I’m looking forward to it, we will be in the Haven though. I like NCL, and hopefully my kids do too.

That sounds like a wonderful couple of trips. I agree that DCL is probably better for a TA with small children, but I think you'll be very happy in the Haven on NCL in the Med. We've not been on the Epic, but I've read over and over on Cruise Critic that the Epic has the best Haven area in the fleet.